Lost and Found
by hazydaze
Summary: Lois and Clark find each other until tragedy strikes and their relationship is put to the test. Set post 7x20 Arctic so minor spoilers. Clois.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Okay this is a little something different for me, a more serious tone so I hope everyone is still in character for you guys. That'll teach me to listen to Linkin Park My December on repeat.

--

Lois Lane stood at the top of the stairs in the Kent barn, surveying her handiwork. Lois cringed as her eyes covered the length of the room. She had effectively destroyed Clark's 'Fortress' as it was fondly named. Boxes had been overturned, opened, searched through but not returned to their previous state. It was safe to say everything was everywhere.

Lois visibly winced as she heard Clark's heavy footfalls entering the barn. Turning to face him, Lois put on a pained smile, "Umm, Clark…"

"What -- what did you do Lois?!" Clark noticed that many of his belongs were the ones that graced the messy floor.

"It's not what it looks like." Lois assured him. Clark's impeccable gaze zoned in on a rumpled picture of him and Lana under what looked like a metal container. Lois shrunk back slightly as an Clark's face contorted in to anger, "Not what it looks like? Then explain it to me?"

"That…well that was an accident but the boxes, well they were…hazardous bystanders." Lois attempted humour but Clark wasn't having it.

"What are you doing here Lois?" Clark folded his arms. Lois frowned, this side of Clark, wasn't one she saw often and she decided she didn't like it.

"I was looking for something." She didn't elaborate and Clark huffed.

"Looking for something? It looks like a bomb exploded in here." Clark threw up his hands in defeat.

"Okay I get that you're in a post-break up 'tude but no need to drag down the rest of us." Lois regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. She, herself, had comforted Clark when Lana had finally slammed the door shut on their relationship. She knew he was devastated. But she felt like he was backing her into a corner with no escape.

"Get out Lois." But when he spoke, Clark's voice was eerily calm. Lois nodded and turned on her heel and headed towards the steps.

Turning back she tried, "Clark…"

"Don't Lois, just don't." Clark said, his voice defeated.

--

Chloe frowned as she walked into the barn. She could see from where she stood Clark was stomping around, his face in deep concentration as he started stacking boxes.

"Clark…? What are you doing?" Chloe continued her way up the steps and tried to shake the feeling of foreboding.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm cleaning up after your cousin - again!" Clark threw out, anger rolling off him in waves.

"Back it up there General Out-of-my-way. Since when did Lois get relegated to my cousin?" Chloe asked as she started to help move the boxes that seemed to be causing Clark so much agitation.

Clark sighed, "Since she comes up here, trashes the barn and then lets rip into me."

Chloe felt her frown deepen, "Okay I get that Lois made a mess and I believe that, honestly I do. But generally she doesn't throw out the dukes for any reason."

Clark sat on the tired out couch opposite from where Chloe now stood. Clark tried to ignore the glare Chloe was giving him. Clark felt himself give under the pressure, "I may have gave her a hard time about the mess but she had no right to say what she did."

"…and what did she say?" Chloe ventured as she swung Clark's desk chair around to sit on.

Clark's eyes flitted between Chloe and the rumpled picture on the desk. Turning Chloe picked up the picture, "Oh. I see."

"You know Lois, backed into a corner and she'll come out fighting." Clark let a small smile twitch at the corner of his mouth.

"Okay, but back to the impromptu tornado that Lois cooked up. Did she find what she was looking for?" Chloe looked around, she noticed that Clark's own lead chest was closed and accounted for.

"I don't think so. She seemed pretty upset. Or not." Clark shrugged. Chloe threw him another look. With Lois, she either advertised her feelings on a billboard or held them under lock and key for no one to see.

Chloe noticed a glint between one of the floorboards in the barn, by where Clark sat. Picking up a pen from Clark's desk, she walked over and sat down. She started to jiggle the pen between the boards until the pen hooked on to the object. Hooked, Chloe pulled it up, and let it fall into the palm of her hand.

Clark looked at her, puzzled, "Chloe? What is it?"

"What Lois was looking for." Chloe let what appeared to be a gold chain fall across her palm and glint in the light.

"A locket?" Clark asked, on closer inspection.

"Yeah, Lois never takes this thing off." Chloe looked slightly awed by the piece of jewellery but Clark didn't understand. Chloe looked up and realised and spoke in almost hushed tones, "It was Aunt Ella's. A gift from Uncle Sam until one day when Lois came home from school crying her eyes out. Apparently some boy had been really mean to her even though she liked him."

Clark could stop the smile that crossed his face when he thought about cute 5 year old Lois Lane.

"Aunt Ella turned and said to her, Lo sweetie you don't need his love. You have mine, right here." Chloe gestured to the locket. "Two weeks later Aunt Ella died and Lois never took it off. She wears it under her clothes and everything."

Clark suddenly felt like the world's biggest ass. He had fallen asleep on the couch the night Lana had broken up with him. Then at some point in the night something cold and metal was slipped around his neck. What he didn't know then but knew now was that Lois had given him her mother's locket to wear. Because he didn't need Lana's love, he had hers right here.

"Oh Lois." Clark sighed as he took the locket from Chloe, the chain felt like liquid as it slipped through his fingers. Looking up at Chloe, "I gotta go apologise - wait for me?"

"Sure Clark, I'll be in the kitchen." Chloe told him as he whooshed away. Chloe quirked an eyebrow as she tried to right her now wayward hair.

--

Lois had come back to her apartment and spent a long time soaking in her bathtub. Her fingers went to play with the necklace that was no longer there. Lois didn't stop the silent tear that fell nor the one after it. But after that she was done. Washing her hair, she dressed in her robe and went into the kitchen to make some coffee. Turning she was confronted with the primary coloured vision of Clark Kent.

"Jesus! Clark! How did you get in here?!" Lois shouted, her hand naturally balling up into a fist to hit him. He took it, like he always did.

Clark half smiled and cocked his head, "I let myself in with Chloe's key while you were showering."

"Wow, stalker much?" Lois threw back as she turned her attention back to the cupboards and pulled out a second cup to pour some coffee for Clark.

"Lois…" Clark began but Lois turned to him and pretty much gave him the evil eye.

"What Clark? Not done yelling? What?!" Lois practically screamed the last part. Clark could almost laugh at her obvious need for theatrics.

"I'm sorry." He said in a rush. Neither one liked apologising, especially when it came to the other.

"Oh you're sorry! Well that just makes everything…" Lois was cut off as Clark kissed her firmly on the lips. Blinking, Lois looked at him rather like he was a strange zoo animal she had never seen. Clark took the opportune moment to slip the locket back around Lois' neck.

"I'm sorry -- and thank you." Clark offered her a signature lopsided Clark Kent grin and she realised she didn't care he had practically thrown her out of the barn and yelled at her. She didn't care one bit. "Aaah, I have to go…Chloe is waiting for me."

"But Clark…" Lois started but he was out the door before she could finish.

--

"So you apologised to Lois and that's it?" Chloe asked as Clark whizzed in behind her as she started putting popcorn in the bowl for the movie.

"Yeah, said I was sorry, gave her back the locket then came here. Why?" Clark asked.

"Oh no reason, just curious as to why you have her lip gloss all over your face." Chloe said as she walked into the other room.

Clark, on the other hand, stood in the kitchen immobile. "What?"

Chloe laughed as Clark jogged into the room, "Oh don't worry Clark, you know your secret is safe with me."

--

Fin


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Okay, so some bizarre part of me that hates myself, decided that I could take on another multi-chapter project. So instead of a sequel, this has now become a serial fiction. Ta da! Plus I had some spare time so I updated. Won't always be like this I promise! Sorry about the reload, coding problems. Oops.

The song is Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis.

--

It was that they avoided what happened, it's just that it was never spoken of again. Lois carried on being Lois and Clark didn't make anymore attempts to kiss her.

Lois sat on her sofa and sighed, "Okay. So is it me?"

Chloe looked up from her computer to where Lois sat, "Is what you?"

"Why Clark hasn't -- you know." She made a moving forward gesture with her hand.

"No, I don't know." Chloe fended ignorance but Lois gave her the eye that told her not to play games.

"It's just -- what do I do now? I mean, I've had man trouble…" Lois stopped when Chloe let out a snort. But Lois rolled her eyes and continued, "…but Clark isn't like regular men."

Chloe laughed at that, "Umm Lo, last time I checked…"

"You know what I mean, why are you making this so hard anyway?" Lois didn't let Chloe even begin to answer that question before she started to ramble again, "Clark is like…an alien species or something."

Frowning Chloe got up from her chair and moved to sit next to Lois, "Alien species?"

"Yeah, he is. Cause you know why, Clark is a good guy and that in this day and age -- is an alien concept." Lois punctuated her words with more hand gestures.

"You want the truth? Clark lives in fear…" Chloe told her as she eyed Lois' coffee cup.

"Fear? What is Clark afraid of?" Lois asked when she nodded her assent for Chloe to take the cup.

"Well, mostly you. He never knows what he's going to get. But if you want to get anywhere with Clark you have to be honest." Chloe licked her lips as she tasted the hard years of work that Lois had put into learning to make a good cup of coffee. "So 'fess up Lo, since when were you ever interested in 'a dorky farm boy'?"

Lois felt a blush creep up her neck, she wrinkled her nose, "When I broke up with Oliver. Clark was just -- there for me. Like always."

"Isn't that a friend-thing rather than a romantic…" Chloe ventured.

"Sure if you haven't seen him butt naked." Lois shrugged.

Chloe laughed, "You when you talk to Clark, things like that -- should be avoided."

Lois mentally checked that on her list of things not to say, "Right. No naked talk."

--

Clark stood a little way down from the house, he was inspecting part of the fence that had started to erode. He was debating just super-speeding and fixing it now or finally getting the courage to go and see Lois.

Looking over to the driveway upon hearing tire tracks, he saw Chloe get out and approach him. "Well the fence really does need fixing…" He muttered.

"Clark!" Chloe called cheerily. Clark groaned, he somehow knew he was going to regret this.

"Chloe?" He called back, turning to meet her half way. He put out his right hand and leant on the fence as he tilted his head to look at Chloe.

"So…" Chloe said, her eyebrows nudging him for reasons he didn't comprehend.

"So?" Clark's face was blank. Chloe slapped the bare part of his bicep, "Ouch" He feigned a hurt look.

"Oh don't pretend like that hurt." Chloe folded her arms and gave him a look. He still was missing whatever she was getting at. "You know, stupid isn't a good look for you Clark."

Clark quirked his eyebrow, "Now considering I figure you didn't come here to berate me, what do you want?"

"It's not what I want…" Chloe sighed, "Clark you haven't talked to Lois have you?"

"Lois? Why would I need to talk to Lois?" Clark tried to force himself not to react.

"Again, stupid, not good. She's going crazy about why you haven't been to see her. Therefore by extension, she is driving me crazy!" Chloe threw up her hands.

"Going crazy? Really?" Clark smiled, Chloe hit him again.

"Okay stop inflating your ego and talk to Lois." Chloe told him and shot him a parting look.

--

Lois threw her bag down on the table before going to her room to change, it had been a long day at the Planet and she just wanted out of her heels and into something comfortable. Opening her closet, she mmm'ed and aah'ed over the various pairs of jeans and vests that rested against her work attire. She noticed snuggled at the back along with a pair of grey sweatpants was Clark's plaid shirt. Clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth, Lois pulled out the garments and slid them on.

Sighing happily, Lois walked barefoot into the kitchen before pulling open the freeze to the hidden tub of Ben and Jerry's ice-cream. Setting it down the tub, she pulled out a large spoon and began to run it under hot water. Easier and quicker than waiting for the ice-cream to soften, Lois noticed the silence of the apartment. Making a face she headed over to her computer and flicked up her play list. Setting it to random, she went back to her ice-cream.

Slowly and almost sinfully she scooped the ice-cream out and into her mouth. For a moment Lois let it melt against her tongue before she heard the song change. A small smile grew on Lois' face. Quickly she checked that no one was around. Better safe than sorry.

Lois took the spoon and instead of using it to eat the ice-cream she brought it up to near her mouth before belting out, "_Closed off from love I didn't need the pain, once or twice was enough and it was all in vain. Time starts to pass and before you know it your frozen. But something happened for the very first time with you._"

Forgetting to sing the next part of the verse, Lois did a little spin before returning to her 'performance', "_But I don't care what they say I'm in love with you…_" Lois stopped dead when she saw Clark in the doorway to the apartment.

"Wow Lois, didn't know you were such a good singer." Clark told her but she was too frozen in embarrassment to know whether he was joking.

"Clark -" Lois squeaked, "What - what are you doing here?"

Clark walked over from the doorway to in front of Lois, his gaze inspecting her clothing. Lois regained enough of her motor control to fold her arms over her chest, indignantly. Clark was obviously trying to contain a smile. "I don't know why you're looking so smug Smallville, you still haven't answered my question. What are you doing here?"

As if a light switch turned on Clark looked up, "Lois, is that my shirt? Have you had it all these years?"

"Okay one, it's not _that _many years and two -- yes." Lois lowered her gaze so that Clark could not see her mortification by the whole situation.

"Lois -" Lois turned away the moment Clark began speaking, so he stopped.

"The ice-cream, it'll melt." Lois said by way of explanation.

"Okay I figured what I was gonna say was more…" Clark clenched his jaw. He knew trying to talk to Lois would be hard but this was ridiculous if she wouldn't even look at him.

"What were you going to say? Oh Lois, I know I kissed you but you know it was terrible mistake! I see the error of my ways and I just want to be friends." Lois rambled. "Yeah I get it Clark."

"I don't think you do Lois…" Clark frowned, did she really think that he had come to tell her he wanted to be 'just friends'?

"You're Clark and I'm Lois. Oil and water, chalk and cheese and some other unmixable components." Lois waved her hand in a nonchalant gesture.

"God Lois, where did you learn to talk so much?" Clark asked incredulously.

Lois looked straight at him, "What?"

"Here you are talking us out _anything_ before I've even opened my mouth. I mean seriously, where does it come from?" Clark asked her. Her inanity was something that completely irritated him but endeared Lois to him too.

"You know what Kent you know where the door is." Lois changed her position to stand with her hands on her hips, don't-mess-with-me look on her face.

"Shut up Lane." Clark told her as he closed the space between them and kissed her. Tentatively at first but when she didn't slap him around the face, Clark let his arms slip around her waist as she let her fingers graze over his arms to wind around his neck.

Suddenly a shrill ring filled Clark's desire fogged mind, pulling back, he realised his back pocket was vibrating. Lois opened her eyes and looked at him, "Clark?"

Letting out an expletive that made Lois snort, Clark picked up the phone, "Chloe? Umm - can this wait?" A pause and he nodded, "Are you sure? - I'll be right there."

Turning to Lois, he gave her a pleading look, "Lois…"

"Go - do - whatever. I'll be here." Lois smiled as Clark looked relieved.

"Lois, you do know we'll have that conversation - eventually." Clark told her with a smirk as his plaid shirt looked decidedly more rumpled. Clark headed for the door, Lois was almost proud as she watched his natural stride. But something in the pit of her stomach told her it would always be this way. Him wandering off for unknown reasons. A bit like the first time they'd kissed.

But he came back and that's what Lois held on to.

_He came back_

--

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Headdesk I battled with this chapter, it sounded good in my head. Not sure about in reality. So this will be the last update for a few days. Enjoy! -- Or not.

--

Chapter 3

Clark had been less than pleased to find out that Chloe had been moonlighting for Oliver but had allowed it on principle. He was fighting the good fight even if Clark couldn't. But it was the allegiance that had gotten them into this mess. Given how they had been fending off the Luthors for so long it had been a shock when a meteor freak had sunk up on Chloe and taken her hostage.

As usual her speed dial had saved her life. Slightly roughed up, Chloe stood in front of Clark on the top deck of the barn. Clark looked at her with slightly anxious eyes. His gaze focused on a gash that decorated her forehead. Absently, Chloe touched her hand to her forehead and winced. Still it looked worse than it was.

"Clark? Quit macho posturing and tell me what's going on in that brain of yours." Chloe asked with concern.

Clark had already begun silently brooding, the muscle in his jaw line twitched and his gaze already distant. Chloe prodded him in the arm, trying to bring him back to Earth. She tried again, "Clark?"

"Is this how it's going to be? Rushing off to save someone while Lois is left standing on the sidelines?" Clark asked to no one in particular.

"Lois is a big girl Clark, she can handle it." Chloe assured him, "Plus, undoubtedly she will be screaming from the rooftops the moment she isn't happy."

"I don't want to keep making the same mistakes Chloe, I'm tired of being alone or in the wrong for something I can't control." Clark sighed, "It wouldn't be fair to Lois either."

"You're serious about her, aren't you." Chloe felt like something had just dawned on her.

"Serious as a heart attack." Clark said, Chloe noted the sarcasm but there was a hint of irony in his tone, like he really was as serious as a heart attack for Lois. Or maybe Lois was rubbing off on him more than either of them realised.

"Clark you've gotta realise, you've loved one woman your whole life. There are other types of women out there." Chloe sighed. Part of her wondered, just a little bit whether or not Clark was still in love with Lana. In no uncertain terms did she want her cousin to be Clark's rebound.

"Lois is one all her own." Clark said with a secret smile.

"Yeah but embrace it. Better to be on her good side than her bad side. So what are the chances of her castrating you when you get back?" Chloe was also a realist, knowing Lois the way she did, Lois Lane does not take any prisoners.

"None." Clark said, looking rather pleased with himself.

"None?" Chloe asked sceptically.

"She was completely fine with my leaving." Clark told her earnestly.

"Really?" Chloe was still unsure.

"Really."

--

"Three times this week Clark has been at the Talon. Three times he's had to dash off elsewhere. I'm starting to think he's avoiding me." Lois grumbled over her coffee in the downstairs of the Talon.

"Didn't you think he was avoiding you before? Before he came by the apartment and kissed you." Chloe theorised. She crumbled off a bit of Lois' muffin and popped it in her mouth.

"Okay, not helping Chlo." Lois gave Chloe a look before continuing, "He said he's come back and he didn't. God! Why do I sound like the girl who didn't get called after the one night stand?"

"Look, I'm sure Clark has a perfectly good reason why he hasn't called." Chloe made a mental note to ask Clark about his amazing disappearing act after their talk which established his feelings for Lois.

"Yeah well, I gotta go, work ahead, evil afoot."

"Usual stuff." Chloe concurred.

"Yeah, catch ya later Chlo." Lois gave a little wave.

Chloe called up to her, "Lois, don't worry about Clark, he likes you. He's just -- being Clark."

"Yeah well if he doesn't stop being 'Clark' I'm going to find someone who doesn't kiss and avoid." Lois sighed.

"Give him some time Lo. He'll get there." Chloe said warmly. She wanted Lois to be happy but she also knew the secret obstacles that was Clark Kent.

--

"…and Clark Kent puts in an appearance." Lois said, deadpanning. Once again Clark appeared in her doorway. She was tempted to duct tape the door shut, that way her feelings could take a rest from Clark's activities on her nerves.

"Look, Lois - this…" He threw his hands up in defeat, "- this is how it's going to be. Me leaving at the drop of the hat -- and I can't give you answers."

"Clark…" Lois sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose, "I don't want answers, hell I don't want to know your deep dark secrets, not yet anyway -- I just want you to take me to dinner."

"Oh."

"Oh?" Lois quirked her eyebrow, "Clark, I don't know much about you're other relationships have been like - other than the obvious. But I'm not after you to rescue me or protect me. I'm asking you to be my best friend -- who I sometimes have sex with."

Clark's face suddenly blushed a deep shade of crimson under Lois' gaze. "Okay so maybe I was kidding about that last part. No sex for you."

"Lois?!" Clark cried, he nearly died with his head in his hands as Lois punched his shoulder. The mood had lightened considerably. Clark emerged from his hiding place behind his hands and offered Lois a weak smile.

"Really, Clark you've gotta learn to loosen up." Lois offered him a half smile.

"Lois…" Clark's face suddenly became serious.

Lois replied, "Yeah?"

"What about when eventually you want answers and I can't give them to you?" Clark asked, his voice betrayed his concern.

Lois took in Clark's face, he truly looked afraid of how she might answer this question. So she did what always did, she was honest, "Cross that bridge when we come to it Smallville. No use worrying about it now. You could turn out to be the worse date ever and we never see each other again after it."

Clark shook his head and smiled, pulling Lois into a warm hug until she muttered something that sounded like, "Still no sex for you."

Clark laughed and pushed Lois away before turning to leave. "Smallville?" Lois called, something in her voice made Clark pull back. She sounded so vulnerable.

"Lois?"

"You still haven't asked me to dinner."

"Oh -- right!" Clark looked back at her rather sheepishly. "Lois…?"

"Hmm?" She wasn't going to make this easy for him.

"Lo, umm, would you - would you like to go to - out to dinner with me?" Lois couldn't stop the warm feeling in her heart as she watched Clark bumble and fall over his own words.

"Nachos and chilli fries?" Lois asked sincerely.

"What? Clark looked bemused.

"I don't want to do some grand --" Lois began her own bumbling ramble.

"Lois, you haven't even said yes and you're already controlling the date." Lois liked to be in control, Clark noticed that this was a prevailing theme since the day he met her. It was a nice change of pace to be led rather than to lead himself.

"Just promise me Smallville, it'll be you. Not fake you - pretending to be something you're not." Clark had a moment of vulnerability and this one was Lois'. She didn't want him to change. She just wanted him to be Clark.

"I promise."

--

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Their date had been wrecked before they'd even got out of the barn. Clark had heard a distinct cry of someone needing help. He had tried to ignore it, but it had assaulted his senses. He was practically crippled by it. To be honest, over the past few months his powers seemed to be building, like they were preparing themselves for something even bigger. That thought didn't comfort Clark.

"Lois, why aren't you more upset?" Clark asked Lois as she sat staring out of the large barn window. Lois had been completely silent when he left and had said little when he had turned.

"Hmm?" Lois, as if in some trancelike state, suddenly began to wake up, "I had this friend a few years back. Just like you, running in and out - his reason? Spelunking. I thought about it and if Bruce needed to go…spelunking at 3am then there was probably a damn good reason for it."

"Bruce?" Clark asked, suspiciously.

"Wayne. The point is Clark you are trying to make mountains out of molehills. Why? It's not like we can't reschedule."

"Who are you and what have you done with Lois Lane?" Clark mumbled to himself.

--

Chloe walked alongside Clark, coffee in hand, preparing for her day at work. Turning her head, Chloe frowned, "So you want Lois to ask about your secret?"

"No."

"You don't want Lois to ask about your secret?" Chloe tried instead.

"No."

"Clark, you might wanna pick one." Chloe told him with a slight laugh.

"I want her to care I need to go spelunking." Clark said somewhat petulantly.

"Spelunking?" Chloe asked incredulously. Clark had never expressed a desire to be a speleologist.

"Lois' metaphor not mine."

"Clark, you can't have it both ways and chances are Lois is just trying to figure this out as much as you."

"Chloe…" Clark's voice held a hint of 'why me?' but Chloe ignored it.

"You know what I think - after all these years you're so used to people, me and Lana included, wanting to know your secret you equate that with caring. We wanted to know because we care. Whereas Lois has expressed no interest into the secret files of Clark Kent," Chloe was silent a moment before continuing, "But that's our fault not Lois'."

"Well how do I fix it?" Clark asked. Chloe could almost cry. He was supposed to be the last son of a great race but he was in most ways a basic human male. Some thing's broken? Lemme fix it.

"Maybe you don't Clark and Lois does…"

--

Later in the day, Chloe and Lois were currently taking much needed coffee breaks at their desks. Lois swivelled on her chair while Chloe tried to decode Lois. Plucking up some courage Chloe jumped in, "Look, it's not like I enjoy playing tag team opponents with you and Clark but - I know you Lois, you have to everything and everyone. It's part of what makes a good journalist."

"But why am I avoiding Clark's disappearances like the plague?" Lois sighed.

"Kind of." Chloe shrugged.

"I've had a lot of guys in my life. Most of them didn't mean all that much. But Clark? He's just that - Clark. My best friend after you and I'm not going to do to him what I did to Ollie."

"Did to Oliver? Lois you broke up…"

"I let him push me away. I pushed it and he lied to me because of it. He even sent someone to impersonate him!" Lois didn't notice Chloe averting her eyes at that point, "So I let him go, but I didn't say it was okay. I didn't let him know that I understood. I made him leave because he didn't trust me with his secret."

"Lois, Oliver's leaving had nothing to do with you and you know it."

"No. It was all Green Arrow because that was who he needed to be. But we can't deny that Clark helps people. Granted he has no aspirations for green leather but he's out there helping and I don't want him to give it up but I don't want him to give me up either."

--

"Jimmy…" Chloe said as sat herself down on Jimmy's sofa.

"Yeah?" Jimmy sighed as Chloe cuddled up to him and he laced his fingers through hers.

"I stand corrected. Lois and Clark are nuts for each other."

Jimmy offered her a secret smile, "Told ya."

--

Lois changed out of her work clothes before slipping into a simple blue vest and jeans. Comfortable clothes, comfortable zone, she sighed. Driving up to the Kent farm she had less than one guess where Clark was holed up.

"Clark." Lois called as she saw him nose deep in a book on astrology. He looked up at her, slowly closing his book. He moved to get up but Lois held up her hand, "I sorta need to get this. I'm a pusher. I push people and most people let me push them. It's a control thing. I don't want to push you. Okay maybe I want to push you to get out in the world. But I don't want to lose -- whatever this is."

Clark seemed to be contemplating this, but on occasions like this Clark had very few facial expressions. "Lois…"

Lois heard something in his tone of voice made her rethink her choice of being here and she blinked before running into action, she turned to go, "Right…umm…okay. Stupid…"

Clark was suddenly next to her, his hand clasping hers, naturally their fingers interlaced, "Come on - I'm pretty sure Mom left some of her famous cherry pie. That is if…"

"Pie sounds good Smallville." Lois smiled as Clark lead her out of the barn and back to the house.

--

"I'm still getting a proper first date Kent." Lois told Clark as she sat on the couch, her back leaning against Clark's side as he had one arm wrapped around her to eat some of his slice of pie. He was being doubly cautious as Lois had eaten the last two forkful straight from his fork.

"Yeah well if you don't let me have a piece of this pie…" Clark rumbled good naturedly until he heard a large banging sound upstairs.

"Clark?" Lois turned to him.

Clark stood up and gesture for Lois to remain seated. She obviously completely ignored him. Clark let out a sigh of relief as he saw Kara thundering down the stairs.

"Kara?" Clark asked as she looked up at him. He saw her eyes glance from him to Lois. She looked confused but she didn't say anything. "Kara, what is it?"

"It's nothing." She told him.

Lois let her eyebrows raise, "Well it's obviously not nothing."

Kara narrowed her eyes, "And what would your kind know about it." Kara still from time to time referred to humans as their kind because it was the truth. They weren't human.

"Kara!" Clark hissed.

"What? Sooner you stop lying to yourself Kal, the easier the rest of it will be." Kara told him angrily.

"Kal?" Lois asked under breath.

"Kara you're going to apologise to Lois and then…"

"You're not my father Clark. Never will be." Kara made emphasis on his name. His name had been a source of contention for both of them. As far as he was concerned his name was Clark - it was the name he was raised with. Kara believed because he was Kryptonian she would only call him by his Kryptonian name.

"Clark, maybe you should…" Lois touched his arm as he was about to walk over to Kara. Kara tilted her head to the gesture.

"I thought…you and the other one?" Kara asked, obviously meaning Lana.

That got Lois' back up but Clark was already speaking before she could get her opinion out, "Lana and I broke up. Lois and I are…"

He looked at Lois, they hadn't even had their first date, were they a 'anything' yet? Lois answered for him, "Dating. Or trying to."

Kara nodded, "Good. I like you much better."

Lois let out a little smirk as Clark walked over to Kara, "So what's up?" He asked in a soft voice.

Kara sighed, she offered up her bracelet, the simple 'S' that covered the middle of the band was cracked. It was one of the very few things that Kara had of Krypton and it meant a great deal to her. Clark traced the 'S', the symbol of their family - the symbol of hope was shattered.

Clark nodded, "We can fix it Kara." The double meaning wasn't lost on her.

"Are you sure?" Kara asked, her own hope rising.

"Definitely." Clark gave her a lopsided smile.

Kara swung her arms around his neck, hugging him, "Thanks Kal! See you later."

"Later? Kara?" But she had already rushed out of the door.

"So what was up with Kara's bracelet?" Lois asked as she started to eat Clark's piece of pie. Clark shook his head and laughed as he watched her.

"It's an old family heirloom, irreplaceable in fact." Which was true. There was no way any other Kryptonian bracelets would turn up.

"But you can fix it right?" Lois asked, as she offered the pie covered fork to Clark. He ate that piece and took the plate from Lois, finishing the pie remains.

"I hope so." Clark nodded.

--

Kara pottered around the Talon, picking up miscellaneous cups and what not and put them into her washing up bowl. She hummed happily along to her iPod, as she worked. The music in her ears stopped her from getting too bored and doing everything at super-speed. Clark was all about the blending in.

She sighed, one day the world would know who they were and she wouldn't have to hide. That was a day she felt she could wait for. Kara stopped when she heard something in the background. It wasn't hard given her abilities. Turning she scanned the room with her x-ray vision -- nothing turned up. Kara frowned and reluctantly returned to her work.

Kara couldn't breath all of a sudden. She felt like a giant hand at her throat was suffocating her, it was boiling her blood. She cried out, she knew what was killing her, it was Kryptonite. Turning as she fell she saw a man. Kara tried to find the meteor rock he had to be holding but couldn't. The man bent down by her head and Kara tried to turn away clutching her stomach. It was like he was the Kryptonite, every part of his being was Kryptonite and it was too overpowering.

"I'm sorry. But I have too." He whispered to her as his hand touched her face. The touch of his hand flared Kara's skin, every part of her rejecting him and his touch. But it was so much worse now, the feeling was in her blood, there was no escaping it. The Kryptonite was in her system now and she was sure she was gonna die.

With a last conscious breath she forced out one word, "Kal-El!" and prayed he could hear her.

--

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Author Notes: Yet more plot. Having a bit of trouble with my characterisations but I think Lois is definitely more Lois in this chapter.

--

Chapter 5

Clark had already said goodbye to Lois when he heard it. It was barely above a whisper but he heard it. Kara was calling for him. He couldn't deny his heart shot into his throat when he heard her desperation. Clark almost when to super-speed before he reminded himself to call Chloe, whatever had taken Kara down would have to be either pretty strong or have Kryptonite. One he could deal with, the other would send him to whatever hell Kara was in now.

Picking up his cell, he made the call, "Chloe? You need to get to the Talon -- it's Kara, she's hurt."

--

Lois was already brushing Kara's hair back when Clark arrived. Lois either didn't hear or didn't pay attention to the whoosh sound that accompanied him.

Kara looked vaguely in his direction, "Kal?"

"Kara." He called, he walked towards her but the overwhelming feeling of Kryptonite poisoning accosted him. He almost felt himself double over, "Kara?" Clark questioned this time.

"There was -- a man. Green…" Her voice trailed as she let out a shudder.

"It's okay Kara, the ambulance is coming." The previously silent Lois told her.

"Ambulance?" Clark's eyes widened, "Lois, Kara can't go to hospital."

"What? Clark your cousin…" Lois looked entirely bemused by his actions.

"Is very sick but they can't help her now." Clark told Lois firmly.

"Clark as I was saying your cousin needs to go to hospital -- badly." Lois told him, her anger flaring.

"No." Clark said turning away.

"No?" Lois looked at him incredulously, " Clark, I promised I wouldn't push but I swear to God you don't tell me what's going on right now…"

"I can't."

"You can't." Lois obviously didn't accept that.

"I told you Lois, I can't." Clark told her, turning back to face her.

"Okay, when I meant I didn't want to know your secret I didn't know Kara's life was in danger! -- So suck it up Smallville!" Lois sighed, exasperated.

Chloe ran in and cured the suddenly deafening silence between them. "Clark? -- Lois?"

"Chloe, how'd you get here so fast?" Lois asked her as she stood.

Chloe shrugged, "I was coming back to pick something up from the apartment when Clark called."

"Clark called?" Lois eyed him suspiciously.

Clark ignored Lois and turned to Chloe, "Chloe, I'm going to need you to call the League, see if we can get them down here any time soon."

"Umm -- Clark?" Chloe nodded in Lois' direction.

"Lois called the paramedics. We're going to need help to cover this up." Clark rubbed his eyes, suddenly very tired. Chloe nodded her assent and left the room, cell in hand.

"You're talking like this is some kind of conspiracy." Lois sighed. Clark didn't reply as he bent down and tried to catch Kara's eye. She knew he couldn't come any closer but he wanted her to know that he was there.

"Kara?" He whispered.

Biting her lip, Kara's gaze flickered to his, "Kal - it hurts. We don't hurt."

"Just hold on Kara."

Chloe returned, trying to ignore the tension in the room, "I made the call. They're coming." Chloe also brought with her a bowl and sponge. Producing the sponge, she began dabbing Kara's forehead. The taller blonde reached for her hand. Chloe grasped it gently and looked at Clark with pleading eyes. All Clark could do was look on helplessly.

--

"I'm Dr Bradfield. I'm the specialist Mr Queen sent." A petite redhead told them as they entered the hospital ward. She shook Clark's hand firmly but Clark still felt tense.

"Doctor, is there anything you can do for Kara? I mean what is this?" Lois asked, almost pushing to the forefront.

Dr Bradfield looked at Clark then at Lois, he guessed that she was under strict orders from Oliver to only speak to Clark. Clark nodded and she continued, "Kara is suffering from a very rare and severe form of genetic poisoning. Its slowly destroying her immune system, all her defences…" Dr Bradfield obviously felt too uncomfortable to continue.

"Is it painful?" Lois asked, she didn't really want to know the answer but the question came out anyway.

"It's excruciating." Clark murmured to himself. No one heard him. He absently touched his hand to his mouth.

"Kara is in pain but she's not really aware of it right now." Dr Bradfield admitted.

Clark felt his world crumbling around him. His cousin was dying in the worst way possible and he didn't even know if he could save her.

"What do you do in situations like this?" Clark asked, "What are we doing to help her?"

Lois gently slipped her hand into his, Clark squeezed her hand lightly without even realising it.

"In this case we would trying smoking it out -- raise Kara's temperature and then eventually starve the fever out."

"Can you do that?" Clark asked, hopeful.

"I'd like to see how Kara stabilises before we make any rash decisions."

--

The next few hours were a blur. Clark had been sitting behind a pane of glass, watching Kara struggle to survive. Lois and Chloe had brought him coffee and various other thing but he ignored them. He couldn't face food right now. He was also about ready to snap when he saw Oliver. The other man rested his hand on Clark's shoulder. Clark nodded in return.

"How is she?" Oliver asked, his concern palpable. He'd never met Kara but it didn't mean he didn't know her. Clark had spoken of her often.

"She's not good. But it seems after the initial exposure, the levels of meteor rock have dipped dramatically. Which means…" Clark couldn't finished that sentence.

"It means we have more time to save her Clark." Oliver assured him, "Dr Bradfield is working to the best of her abilities Clark but she's running on half empty."

He knew what Oliver meant, the other man had always know Clark was 'different' but they had never talked about the extent of his unique person. Clark sighed as he replied, "I can't." He felt the weight of their secret bearing down on him. It was smothering him. But he knew it was for the best. People got hurt when they knew.

Lois and Chloe made their approach which caused Oliver to stiffen beside Clark. But Clark ignored all of them. He felt claustrophobic, his mind was racing. Was he having a panic attack? Was everything getting to him?

"Clark?" Chloe called to him.

He jerked his head to the side to look at her. His face scrunched up in concentration. Chloe rushed to his side, "Clark…? Clark!"

Clark felt himself fall to his knees, "What? Krypt-- it's here."

Clark looked up to see a man in the shadows, his face covered. Oliver noticed him too and raised his hand, "Wait…!" But the man had already backed into the shadows.

A sudden blip, blip noise came from Kara's room. Dr Bradfield appeared and called out behind her, "She's coding!"

Clark didn't rise from his knees but Lois joined him on the floor. She looked him in the eye, "No more games, Smallville."

--

Lois growled in frustration and slammed the cabinet shut, "This is getting us nowhere."

Chloe continued to pretend to look through the files she was holding. "Lois, we have to try."

"Try? Like Clark is trying?" Lois took a deep breath and tried to right herself.

"Clark is trying, Lois." Chloe said quickly, defending her friend.

"Clark is still playing hide and go nowhere!" Lois was referring to the fact he still refused to tell them what was going on.

Chloe nodded, "Well Clark is trying to do what's best for Kara."

"And lying is what's best for her?"

"In the long run, yeah." Chloe admitted.

"Bull. I don't believe it. It's stupid and cowardly, how is he gonna feel if she dies…" Lois stopped herself. She tried to concentrate on her breathing, "Clark obviously knows the answer so why isn't he willing to tell anyone? What is it that's so bad he needs to cover it up like this?"

"Clark is…"

"Chloe stop defending him. He's just -- just gotta do it on his own." Lois felt herself being pulled in all different directions. Part of her wanted to yell, a really big part of her did, to force him to stop being an idiot. But she knew it would never work. For once she damned Clark for being so -- Clark.

"I'm sorry." A voice called out eerily.

"What?" Lois said, twirling around. Her eyes tracking the room for movement.

"I didn't want to hurt her." The voice told them.

"You? You did this?" Chloe shouted at the voice.

"He made me." The voice almost whimpered.

"He? God? Are you about to tell us God make you do it?" Lois replied, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

"He said it was the only way he'd let my family go."

Chloe had uneasy feeling, "Who said?"

"I never knew his name -- but he was so strong…and fast."

The puzzle pieces kept falling together, unhappily in Chloe's mind, Lois, on the other hand wasn't so convinced, "Why?! Why did he make you hurt Kara?"

"Because their home is their only poison." The voice said simply.

--

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Finally updated the summary! Woohoo! Again, apologising for being away. I currently have loo roll stuffed up my nose to keep it from running.

Chapter 6

"Okay - do you know how ridiculous you sound?" Lois told the intruder with raised brows.

"Lois…" Chloe let her face show her annoyance.

"You don't understand." The man told them, "He's not finished."

"Whose not finished?" Lois demanded.

"Why? What does he have planned?" Chloe asked, the who they could deal with later but the what needed to be circumvented -- and fast.

"He wants me to infect the other one." The man admitted.

"The other one?" Lois interjected, feeling very outside of the loop, "Why come here? Why tell us at all?"

"I made a mistake - I wanted to make it right." The man sighed. Lois folded her arms, quite easily and happily, letting the man roll in his own shame.

"Suddenly, the world is righted!" Lois mock exclaimed.

"Lois!" Chloe hissed. If she had been in reach she might have even slapped her cousin's arm.

"No Chlo, this guy did something to Kara and now she's sick - possibly dying and we're supposed to forgive him 'cause he confessed and said he was sorry? I don't know about you but I'm not a priest and this isn't confessional." Lois Lane wasn't someone who would stand by while injustice went on in front of her. She also wasn't a person who put up with bullshit.

"Lois, forgiveness isn't…"

"Save it Chloe, not in the mood for a lecture." Lois stormed as she rounded on the guy.

Before she could even ball her fist into the punch she'd been saving since this all began, the man began to jerk. His body shuddered and tremors shook his body. Lois stepped back and into the oncoming path of what looked like a blur. She was spun away from its path and her head hitting a desk as she fell. Lois looked up, her vision blurred as unconsciousness tried to claim her. Chloe was in a similar position, laying with her arms covering her face.

"Chloe…" Lois mumbled as the darkness washed over her eyes.

--

When Lois finally dragged her mind back into consciousness, she had been moved. Staring up at the ceiling, it was not the ceiling of the Daily Planet basement. The cool metals and simple colours of the room told her she was in Oliver's penthouse apartment. Part of her sighed with a sort of relief when she realised it was the guestroom.

Sitting up, Lois hissed as her brain fought against the movement. Her head felt incredibly tender, she didn't need to touch her forehead to know she had a large welt near her hairline. Approaching the mirror, Lois swore when she saw her reflection. She looked like she had seen better days on a battering ram. Her forehead was the giant bruise she knew it to be but her cheek also sported a gash that had since been stitched up. Her jaw was a funny kind of purple colour that should only been seen on fruit -- not people.

Sighing, Lois stood and headed in the direction of the balcony where she figured Ollie would be 'contemplating'. Men were so predictable.

--

"Ollie?" Lois called. Oliver turned and sort of winced when he saw Lois. But she couldn't tell if it was because of her face or because of the Lois/Ollie sized relationship elephant in the room.

"Lois. You shouldn't be up, you've had a severe concussion. You've been out cold for 2 days." Oliver told her. Lois blinked and absorbed that information.

"Oh -- well if I've been sleeping for 2 days I'm fully rested." Lois said with energy.

"Lois…" Oliver said low and huskily, Lois folded her arms as Oliver approached her. Feeling very exposed, she tossed her head to the side and regretted it as her skull seemed to tighten around her protesting mind.

"Yeah?" Lois asked, trying to be neutral.

"It's --" Lois gestured for Oliver to spit it out but he sighed, "It's Chloe, whoever attacked you, took her."

"Took her?" Lois looked at him incredulously, "Well - find her!"

Oliver looked almost startled, "Lois we're doing everything we can."

"We? Is that the Royal or singular?" Lois quipped

"Me and Clark." Oliver gave her a tight smile.

"Clark. Jeez, what is with him? He's so secretive you'd think he was protecting state -- no make that world secrets the way he was carrying on." Lois sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"About Clark…" Oliver's voice carried as he walked over to his desk.

"What about Clark?" Lois asked, personally she didn't want to have this conversation, it was too complicated and not a good time.

"I didn't know you were so…" Oliver seemed to be searching for the right word.

"So? - Now isn't the time for cryptic."

"Entwined." Oliver admitted.

"Ollie, I have no idea what you're talking about." Lois feigned denial, it was simpler than explaining their weird relationship. Frowning, Lois considered Ollie's word choice. Entwined was never a word she would have used - insane tended to be her first choice these days.

Oliver produced a disc from his desk, handing it to Lois before leaving, "Maybe this'll help."

--

Pulling her laptop, she'd have to thank Elaine - Ollie's assistant, for nabbing it from her apartment along with a descent change of clothes. Maybe it was being around Clark for so long but she noticed that her wardrobe seemed to be spawning a lot more primary colours than it used too. Red t-shirt and jeans it was. Lois scrapped her hair up in a ponytail and didn't even bother to attempt to cover her face.

Lois, for a moment, thought about not watching the tape. But her mind flickered back to Oliver's look before he handed her the tape. He was hurt for sure and apparently knew about her and Clark.

"Me and Clark?" Lois mumbled, "Lane and Kent? We've seen better days."

Lois' mad dog Lane tendencies notwithstanding, Lois just felt like she needed to know. With things being so up in the air with Clark since Kara getting sick, Lois felt like she needed something to hold on to. The play button seemed completely irresistible now.

Lois watched as she and Clark waltzed in from the balcony of Oliver's apartment, Clark clearly being Clark in his red and blues but Lois was dressed up in a short skirt and boots that hid in the back of her closet. Lois was slightly taken aback when her own voice huskily chastised Clark, "You're being very bad." Her shock was not abated by the next exchange, Lois had assumed Clark was himself but he was clearly high as a kite. "Last time I was here I was here with a friend of yours." "Obviously not that good." When Clark told her he needed to see if she spelt his name right, Lois had had her fill and slammed the laptop closed.

Was this a joke? Was this some weird alter-world were Lois and Clark waltzed around stripping each other to have sex in inappropriate places? Lois' head was spinning, a little bit by her own behaviour and that dreamy look that seemed to be permanently on her face. But mostly it was the changes in Clark. Her dorky farm boy was spinning her around like he had nothing to prove. The fact he demanded anything was so many levels of wrong but Ollie was his friend. Clark didn't speak ill of his friends.

Resolute, Lois flipped up her computer again and continued to the point of no return. Clark's gaze was making Lois blush in her seat as he ripped her shirt. "Since when is Clark all caveman?" Lois mumbled., she was not mollified in her choice to continue to watch the video. Lois winced as she watched the last vestiges of her shirt were ripped open.

"Okay!" Lois shouted to herself. "Maybe I won't watch anymore."

Lois took a moment and fanned herself, her face was so heated she doubted she'd ever need central heating again. Lois narrowed her eyes, she hadn't noticed before but the time stamp told her everything she needed to know.

14/02/07

Those numbers for the longest time haunted her. Lois had a hashed together memory of that day, she remembered the woman who sold her the red lipstick which had eventually lead her to falling madly in love with Clark. She had scoffed at the time, Clark Kent? What did he have worth making Lois Lane look twice? But Lois had flashes in her dreams from time to time, a small part of her memory would repair itself and she'd see another side of Clark. But the main thing that stuck out for her, from what she could gather, was at the beginning of all of it she had given Clark a White Snake mix and told him to put it on. Her attention on him had cause him to break out in a goofy Clark smile before he could correct himself.

Lois smiled to herself, so she had ended up making out with Clark Kent in Ollie's apartment. Lois tilted her head, they hadn't come from the elevator like she normally would have.

They had come from the balcony.

Lois picked up the phone from Oliver's desk, "Hey Elaine, yeah it's Lois. I was wondering if you could send up all the tapes from camera 457 - dated 14/02/08. Thanks!"

Lois was the General's daughter, it was her job to know about security, or that's what she told herself. Camera 457 was the one that overlooked the balcony. Lois was muttering explanations to herself, "Maybe Clark likes to abseil?"

--

Clark opened up the gate from the elevator to Oliver's apartment, nodding his head in a hello gesture to Oliver as he worked at his desk. Clark had been out searching for Chloe, now that Kara was stable and being cared for by doctors at a secure Queen Industries facility.

"How's Lois?" Clark asked as he picked up a photo still that might have shown Lois and Chloe's attacker.

"Resting last time I checked. But with her concussion you should probably check on her." Oliver said absentmindedly but his face was full of apology as he saw Clark's hurt expression. "Clark you can't blame yourself for what happened."

"Can't I?"

"He went to them, you couldn't have prevented that and well Lois is a danger magnet."

Clark's eyebrows rose and Oliver quirked his lips into a smile, "Look, just because she attracts something doesn't mean she should be holed up for the rest of her life."

"Sure about that?" Clark joked.

"It'll have to do because unlike you if I ever tried to lock her up she'd kick my ass." Oliver let his smile fall. They both knew that this problem centred around Clark's abilities but Oliver wasn't going to join the masses and demand some answers.

"You know Lois." Clark smiled.

"So do you." Oliver hadn't meant for it to come out like it did but he couldn't take it back. "But Clark, the penthouse? Really?"

"What? " The colour drained from Clark's face, "No. Oliver you don't understand."

"I don't?"

"Lois and I were under the influence of -- something bad." Clark told him. "She doesn't even remember what happened."

"She doesn't?" Oliver looked surprisingly sheepish, "Well -- she does now."

--

"Lois?" Clark called from the doorway into her room. Lois was in the small adjacent bathroom, she quickly pulled her hair out of her ponytail and let it fall in front of her face.

"Clark. We - we need to talk." She called to him as she appeared in bathroom doorway.

"About that night…" Clark began until he caught sight of her face. His breath caught in his throat, Lois averted her eyes and that side of her face away.

"It's nothing. Just a couple of bruises." Lois told him but he strode across the threshold like some kind of hero and cupped his hand under chin, bring her gaze level with his.

"It's not nothing." Clark admitted, he felt worse than worse. It was all his fault.

"Clark?" Lois whispered, interrupting his inspection of her face.

"Yeah Lois?" His voice lowered to match hers.

"Can you fly?"


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: The reveal of a villian! I say this because there could be more than one. Oh yeah and Cloisy goodness. Also to my reviewers, you guys are so frickin' awesome it's untrue. I should tell you that more.

--

Chapter 7

"What?" Clark stuttered as he stumbled backwards.

"It's a perfectly reasonable question. Can you or can't you fly Clark?" Lois said, her hands on her hips, looking at him expectantly.

"No. Lois I can't fly." Clark knew she wouldn't and couldn't leave it there. But it was the truth and he didn't know how he could get her to believe that.

"I don't believe you." Lois told him, her tone a matter of fact manner.

"You don't? Well it's the truth." Clark told her while he, if he admitted a little angrily, folded his arms.

"Well you're obviously lying." Lois replied as she poked his chest. Clark swayed back slightly before righting himself.

"You're obviously delusional." Clark said, giving Lois a sort of glare.

"Right, except I have proof." Lois looked rather pleased with herself. Turning to her laptop, she flicked play. At first it was the empty balcony of Oliver's apartment. Then it was the heavy landing of apparently 'flying' Clark Kent.

"Lois, is that from Valentine's day?" Clark asked, but he already knew it was, "the Valentine's day when we were both under the influence of red K- red meteor rock?"

"So what you're telling me is a piece of red rock gave you super human abilities as well as got you high?" Lois glared at him, "How galactically stupid do you think I am?"

"Lois you're not…"

"Look Smallville I know said I wouldn't push because - because what we have is so new. But look around you, Kara is hospitalised, Chloe's been kidnapped and my face looks like something out of Rocky Horror." Lois sighed, "It would be nice to know that we at least had a fighting chance in all of this."

Clark shifted where he stood and Lois just blinked at him, completely dumbfounded by his behaviour, "And still we get no rise from…"

"I want to tell you okay. I never wanted for my secret to cause so much…pain." Clark's face suddenly became very lost and boyish. "But if I tell you - it changes everything."

"Clark, did you kill someone?" Lois asked him seriously.

"What? No." Clark assured her.

"Then we can deal with it." Lois said assertively.

"Remember when you said that Oliver could be from Mars and you could dismiss it?" Clark let a small smile play on his lips.

"Okay way outta left field there Smallville. What has that got to do with anything?" Lois watched as Clark's gaze headed towards the window, the large pane was easily flooded with moonlight. He took Lois' hand and guided her to the window.

Pointing to somewhere distant in the vast sky, Clark turned to her, "What do you see?"

"Umm - sky?" Lois squinted, which caused her face to pull on her stitches. She grimaced but shook it off to turn to Clark, "I get that you have an astronomy fetish but…"

Impulsively, Clark pressed his lips to Lois', she let out a squeak of surprise against his mouth. Pulling her to him, Clark leaned Lois back onto the glass of the window. He slowly memorised the feel of her, the hissing sound she made as the coolness hit her lower back and how her hands clutched at the clothed material of his chest. The final little whimper as he pulled away. Clark couldn't help a small smile when Lois' hazel eyes glittered at him expectantly.

Lois swallowed a few times, she was getting rather intoxicated kissing Clark Kent, but she couldn't escape his heavy gaze, "Clark you're acting like we're never going to see each other again." Lois frowned, "We are going to see each other again, aren't we?"

"Lois what if I told you that where I pointed out, used to be a planet. A planet called Krypton." Clark waited for a reaction.

"Okay. So there used be a planet called Krypton." Lois shrugged.

"What if I told you that's where I'm from." Clark didn't wait for a reaction and turned away from Lois.

--

"So you're really an intergalactic traveller from the doomed planet Krypton." Lois repeated. Clark had still refused to face her since revealing his secret. "But it doesn't explain Kara. I mean is she…?"

"She's from Krypton too. She's my cousin on my father's side." Clark thought about the old age rivalry that had apparently occurred between his father and his uncle.

"Clark look at me." Lois told him, but he didn't turn around, "Clark, please."

Clark sighed before turning back around, Lois pulled him into a tight hug. Startled for a moment, Clark didn't respond. "Lois?"

"Hmm?" Lois mumbled, buried closer to Clark.

"You're not mad?" Clark seemed to be a little stunned by her reaction.

"No. Why would I be mad?" Lois asked, her face pressed into the crook of Clark's neck.

"Because you're Lois Lane." Clark stated as if that was the answer to all things.

_**CRASH!**_

Clark turned, the sound of shattering glass was unmistakeable. He gestured for Lois to be quiet then turned towards the door.

Clark tried not to be agitated when Lois followed him out the door of the guest room. Oliver was lying on his back behind his desk - clearly unconscious. He heard Lois gasp behind him.

"Kal-El." The intruder announced, Clark turned his head, "I believe the human and I got off on the wrong foot."

"Lois, this is John Jones and he's from Mars." Clark tilted his head and Lois just looked shocked.

--

Lois was currently nursing Ollie on the couch while Clark and John spoke, she couldn't hear what they were saying but they were speaking rapidly.

"So John, how's Mars?" She ventured.

The Martian Manhunter looked back at her, slightly startled. "My home planet is of no consequence to you."

"Just making conversation. Plus isn't Mars really far away from Krypton?" Lois mused, wondering how the two men had come to know each other.

"I travel. Kal-El's father was a dear friend of mine." John admitted.

"Kal-El?" Lois looked slightly bemused.

"My Kryptonian name." Clark corrected.

"Kal-El -- Kal? Isn't that what Kara called you?" Lois' mind fitting the pieces together. "Wow, another point of stupid goes to Lois Lane."

"Lois…" Clark gave her a look. One she completely ignored.

"This does not change the fact you cannot face this adversary alone." John tried to get them back on topic. "The moment you face him you will be stripped of your abilities."

"Abilities? You never said anything about abilities." Lois almost shot up when Oliver grunted, obviously in pain. Sitting back down, she continued to administer bandages to various areas.

"Long story short? I'm invulnerable, have Super-Strength, X-Ray vision, Heat Vision, Super-Breath, can run faster than a speeding bullet and Super-Hearing." Clark reeled off.

"Okay. Now I'm mad." Lois told him, "You're now telling me you have - have superpowers!"

"You're mad about my abilities?" Clark asked, confused.

"No I'm mad you kept them a secret! I mean how useful could they be!" Lois' face suggested that she was plotting.

"Lois my abilities aren't for show." Clark was about to remind her why he hid them for so long.

"I get that but people wouldn't have to know it was you."

"Hate to break it to you Lois but spandex isn't my thing." Clark's face was perfectly serious.

"But helping people is." Lois told him, pointedly. Clark couldn't help breaking into a smile.

"Kal-El focus. You need to strategise how you're to defeat your opponent." John told him, breaking the moment between Clark and Lois.

"Yeah what's up with him?" Lois asked as she got up. John eyed her, he was obviously hesitant about her but she was impressed that he didn't let it show - much.

"From what I've been able to gather he is another meta-human. His Kryptonite based -"

Clark interjected, "Meteor rocks. Radioactive pieces of my home world."

"- based ability is that he is able to give off Kryptonite radiation." John paused to look at Lois, who was obviously blanking on the subject, "Kryptonite is the only weakness of a Kryptonian."

"So this guy radiated Kryptonite and made Kara sick?" Lois asked.

"He poisoned her DNA with Kryptonite. If it was rock form, she would have been fine when she was away from it. But given it's current state, it's in her system therefore she cannot escape it's effects." John explained.

"So what happens if she can't get rid of it from her system?" Lois continued, her reporter side seeking out truth, justice and something else.

"She'll die." John said, not without dramatic effect.

"And if Clark faces him, won't the same thing happen?" Lois deduced.

"Yes."

"Well then Clark you can set up shop here because you're not going anyway." Lois said immediately.

"Lois I have to stop him." Clark said, his heroic nature in full force.

"Why? He can kill you." Lois asked, panic rising.

"He can tell me where Chloe is." Clark reasoned.

"He can kill you." Lois repeated as if she was speaking to a child.

"Lois I have to. If I don't' we'll never know whose behind this and get Chloe back." Clark tried again, Lois couldn't argue with that no matter how much she wanted to.

"Fine but if it's a strategy you want, you've come to the right place." Lois said, walking over to where John and Clark stood.

John looked at her, expectantly, "Army brat." Was all she said before she started handing down scenarios.

Clark couldn't have been more proud of her.

--

"There isn't anything about this plan I like." Lois admitted. She felt suddenly very tired, sitting on the bed in the guest room. But a day where you find out your kind of boyfriend is an alien could do that to you.

"But you came up with the plan!" Clark said, laughing slightly.

"I just don't like the idea of you being Clark sized bait is all."

"I have to be to draw him out." Clark sat down on the bed beside her, his hand gently rested on her knee.

Grasping his hand, Lois stared at how his hand dwarfed hers. She'd always thought her hands to be, not big, but not small either. But next to Clark, nothing about her seemed big. Turning to him, she tentatively kissed him. When he didn't react immediately she pulled back nervously.

"Lois?" Clark asked, huskily.

"It's just you always seem to be kissing me but I've never just -- just kissed you, you know." Lois rambled slightly.

"Lois."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." Clark grinned as he kissed her back.

"Way to take charge Smallville." Lois teased as she wrapped her arms around Clark's neck. Clark pulled her on his lap with ease.

"We're okay, aren't we?" Clark asked as Lois ran her fingers through his hair, as if she was trying to analyze what it felt like.

"When we get Chloe back and Kara better? We'll be -- super." Lois told him.

--

Chloe sat on, what could only be deemed a chair because her backside was on it. The room was minimal. No windows, one door. At least she wasn't alone. She had since learned their mystery man's name was Charlie. He was a good man, just lost in the sea of bad ones. Chloe honestly believed that he never wanted to hurt Kara. But she knew who did.

The distorted voice called throughout the room, "You. Now."

Charlie looked petrified, Chloe stood, her head held high, "What do you want now Brainiac?"


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: For this chapter I'm increasing the rating to PG-13/R for the ending. It's not nice. But anyway I had one of those ZOMG PLOT! moments writing this chapter. Hurrah we have direction!

--

Chapter 8

Chloe gritted her teeth as Brainiac hauled her up the darkened corridor. His grip was beginning bruise her skin, she could tell. Chloe would have struggled, kicked out, screamed, had it not been futile. For all of his failed plots and schemes, Brainiac still had the abilities of a Kryptonian. Could probably crush her skull in one hand, Chloe shuddered at the thought. Brainiac turned back and eyed her, obviously feeling her reaction.

"It's not cold." He said, flatly.

"No, it's disgust." Chloe said truthfully.

"For someone whose life hangs in the balance. You're extremely cavalier." Brainiac said with a cocked eyebrow.

"For something 'powerful' you're looking pretty weak." Chloe said, her voice held her sarcasm. Taking in Brainiac's sunken appearance, he must be running low on metals.

A door appeared to the right of them. Brainiac pressed on what looked like a control and opened the door.

"Lead? Obvious much." Chloe asked, almost conversationally. Brainiac clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth and pushed Chloe through the door. She tripped and fell. Turning, she looked up at him from on her back, on the floor.

"Show some respect." Brainiac stepped over her, bending down as if he was going to pick her up by the throat, "Or I will teach you some."

Chloe felt her bravo falter slightly. It was all well and good tormenting your captor if you knew you had a sure way to escape. She breathed a sigh of relief when Brainiac stepped over her to a computer desk behind her. Standing up she looked around. Once again the computer desk, equipped with computer and chair was the only things in the room.

Brainiac began typing away, Chloe slowly walked to in front of the desk. "This is usually the part where the villain reveals his insidious plan."

"What makes you think my plan is insidious?" Brainiac asked, leaning back in the chair, lacing his fingers together.

"Look let's get one thing straight. You bad guy, me good guy. Right?" Chloe even illustrated with points of her finger at him and her.

"Humans. So caught up in their good and their evil that you never really see what's going on." Brainiac let a dark smile touch his lips, "Don't ever see the ones that know the truth."

"Truth?" Chloe's face formed a look of defiance.

"It's all about power." Brainiac said, simply, "Kal-El thinks he is above such struggles because he is of superior race."

"Clark is a good man."

"He's a fool. But he will learn about power, what it means to have it and to not have it." Brainiac tapped a few more times on the keyboard.

"Then why kidnap me? Why do any of this?" Chloe's eyes narrowed.

"Back to the insidious plan?" Brainiac looked almost amused. Then from his pocket he produced a similar device to the one that created the Dark Thursday virus.

"You're repeating Dark Thursday, to release Zod." Chloe said in horror. "Charlie, Kara even me -- it's all distractions."

"Oh no. I really did need to kill Kara. But you're not incorrect." He admitted.

"Why? Why do this?!" Chloe cried.

"It was what I was programmed to do -- and I like it." Chloe pulled back in revulsion at the smirk that Brainiac gave her.

"Clark will never let you get away with this -- with Zod."

"He will, he'll have to -- because he cares." Disgust this time crossed the computer's features. As far as Artificial Intelligence goes it was as sophisticated as it got. But it was also as crazy as it got. "Plus his best friend's life and the lives of his 'race' are on the line."

--

Lois looked slightly green as Clark set her down on shaky feet. Her eyes darted back and forth as she swung backwards slightly and rested her head on Clark's chest. Clark smiled and rubbed Lois' bicep with his hand, "You okay?"

"Super-speed." Clark nodded as Lois turned to face him, "Who the hell ever said that was a good idea!" Clark chuckled as Lois obviously tried to repress some urge to vomit.

"You'll get used to it." Clark assured her. His grin widening at the thought. Lois would get used it. Something so simple meant so much.

"Wouldn't count on it Smallville." Lois said, slapped her arm on his chest a little too hard. "Ow!"

"Lois?!" Clark grabbed her hand to x-ray it. Lois looked at him, confused but expectant, "It's not broken."

"How is that? You feeling like a steel kegger?" Lois asked as she nursed her soon to be bruised hand. Clark wrapped his arm around Lois' waist to guide her towards the house.

"It's my skin, it's impenetrable. Which makes it pretty dense." Clark explained.

"So if you got hit by a car it wouldn't hurt?" Lois asked.

"If I got hit by a car, the car would be a write off."

"Really." Lois' eyebrows rose, clearly showing how impressed she was.

"Yeah there was this one time with a bus…" Clark continued oblivious. Lois smiled to herself.

"A bus?" Lois mock nodded, biting her lip.

"What?" Clark said, catching on, "Fine next time someone throws a car at you…" He huffed.

Lois smiled sweet, "Aww Clarkie."

"Stop making fun of me." Clark almost stomped his foot petulantly.

"I'm not. I think it's hot." Lois told him, he didn't look completely convinced, "Very hot."

Clark pulled Lois around to face him as they stood in front of the farm house. Lois wrapped her arms around Clark's neck and whispered, "Clark Kent, even a dork about his superpowers."

"Lois!" Clark's face taking on a lost puppy look.

"What? You think because you've got some macho man powers I'm going to cut you some slack Smallville? Yeah -- in another life maybe." Lois pulled away from his embrace and punched his chest lightly. Clark just rolled his eyes. What else should he have expected from Lois Lane.

A small cough came from the doorway of the Kent house. Clark didn't even have to look to know who it was. Lois, ever the people person, called, "Lana! Great to see you!" Clark tried to stifle a laugh at Lois' over smiley face. She simply glared at him.

"I heard about Kara and Chloe, so - so I came back." Lana's eyes seemed to be loitering on Clark's knees. He couldn't blame her. It was never fun being the person walking in on something.

"So you and Lois…" Lana's soft voice asked.

Clark nodded, "Yeah."

"You know what. Your non-verbals are killing me. I'm just gonna go…get that stuff." Lois gestured to the two of them and then up towards the upstairs rooms of the house.

"Clark…" Lana tried but Clark held up his hand. But she continued anyway, "Clark, I'm not going to say oh you shouldn't have. Because you should, I mean I left you. But I will say, why this soon? -- and why with Lois?"

"Lois is --"

"Clark I didn't mean it like that. I just mean -- you always said you hated Lois."

"Like you said, the best ones always start out that way." Clark said not without resentment as he walked in and past Lana. To her credit Lana took it in her stride and walked in after him, heading into the kitchen. Clark watched as she started to put on a pot of coffee. It was a nice gesture but it made Clark feel uncomfortable how at ease Lana was in his kitchen. He had spent a lot of time putting her behind him and his reward was his new relationship with Lois. Now Lana was here and Lois was nowhere to be seen.

"One step forward, two steps back" Clark muttered.

"Hmm?" Lana asked, as she looked at him quizzically.

"Lana what are you --" Clark stopped as he heard a heavy bang noise.

"Lois?" He called. Clark looked at Lana, his expression telling her to stay where she was.

"Incoming!" Lois shouted before a figure tumbled down the stairs. Clark moved forward but was crippled by the sensation of Kryptonite. Lana was at his side, holding him upright. Lois came almost barrelling down the stairs. Rolling the figure over with her foot, Lois stood proudly over her prize, "Apparently, bad guys come to us now."

--

Clark filled Lana in as Lois tied their guest to one of the kitchen chairs placed a reasonable distance away from Clark.

"Hey - hey wake up!" Lois told the unconscious man with a few slaps on his cheeks.

"I doubt that's going to help Lois." Clark snorted.

"Oh yeah and that pig impression is just going wake him right up." Lois zinged back, hands on hips.

"Sure, at least it's better than your laugh." Clark told her, folding his arms.

"Guys…" Lana spoke, but neither was paying attention.

"My laugh is fine." Lois all but huffed. "At least I don't have to be ashamed because I don't know where to put the 20."

"Guys!" Lana pointed at the now waking man.

"Oh look Lois used her mutant screeching powers to wake him up." Clark glared.

The man raised his head, blinked as if to blink away the pain of his concussion, "Ms Lane." He said as he saw Lois in front of him.

"Ms -- how do you know my name?"

"Chloe told me." The man admitted.

"Chloe!" Lois exclaimed excitedly, "Is she…?"

"She's fine. He's keeping her for something."

"Who are you?" Clark asked over whatever Lois was about to say.

"My name's Charlie." Charlie gave them all a lopsided grin. Before the stress of what had happened to him, he was probably a very handsome man.

"What is he keeping her for?" Lana asked, Charlie looked at her, obviously not being able to recognise her.

"Shouldn't this part be who?" Lois told Lana, "Or are we skipping that part?"

"We know who it is." Lana told her. Lois looked down and then back up. She didn't like being out of the loop.

"Kryptonian artificial intelligence. A computer. We call it Brainiac. Short for Brain Interactive Construct. The blur that hit you was Brainiac super-speeding. He must have known Chloe would figure him out." Clark summarised. Lois simply nodded.

Charlie shook his head, "No - no, he wanted her for something else. He needed her to bring back Zod."

"Zod?" The three said collectively.

"Yes. Zod." Brainiac told them, a maniac smile on his face. Before anyone could stop him, heat shot from his eyes. Turning towards Lana, Clark shield her with his body. There was nothing he could for Lois, she was too close to Charlie.

Opening his eyes, Clark turned to Brainiac, he was turning to leave, "Let the games begin Kal-El."

Lois was on her knees, Charlie's head her hands. Brainiac had burnt a hole in Charlie's chest where his heart should have been.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: A few things really. Sorry I haven't updated in a few days, I've been feeling slightly lost with this fic. But on the other hand we've hit the overall 15,000 word mark with this chapter. Which for me is a feat. I have direction though, I anticipate around 20(?) chapters. Hopefully then I can say all I need to say.

--

Chapter 9

"Clark, I'm fine." Lois sighed as Clark sat her down at the kitchen table, Lana busying herself behind him, "Look I don't need you both mothering me."

"Lois, you need to be cleaned up you've…" Clark's words died in his throat.

"What? I've got Charlie's blood on my hands?" Lois asked defiantly. "No, I haven't. This - this Brainiac does."

But still Lana handed Clark a wet towel and he began to dab Lois' hands, the blood came off too easily. So easily wiped away. Clark kept his eyes on his task, not to notice Lois' pained expression. "You couldn't have saved him." He told her.

Lois caught Clark's eye as he looked up for a moment, "You couldn't either."

Clark sighed, no he couldn't. Clark had felt so helpless in that moment, he felt crushed under the weight of it. Brainiac had told him that the games were beginning. Would they be like this? Would Clark be forced to watch all the people he couldn't save?

Lois sensed his unease and turned their hands over so that she was grasping his hand lightly. She offered him a tight smile. Lois watched as Lana's gaze fell on their hands. Lois coughed quickly and pulled her hand away, much to the bemusement of Clark.

"Look, it's obvious you need two need to talk so I'm going to go -- again." Lois sighed.

Lana put up her hand, "Lois, that's not necessary."

"Come on, you've got more water under the bridge than…" Lois faltered, obviously bridge names were eluding her. "Plus I'm really tired. You know, with all the concussion."

"Lois, people with concussion shouldn't be left alone to sleep." Clark told her in his all knowing voice.

Lois couldn't keep the irritation of her face and gritted her teeth, "Well then you'll obviously find some joy in walking me up -- after you're done."

Before anymore conversation could be held Lois turned and walked away from the pair. Clark shifted from foot to foot before springing into action, cleaning up the first aid wrappers they had used cleaning up Lois.

"Clark, I really think we should talk." Lana said, leaning against the counter behind her.

"There's nothing to talk about." Clark told her as he moved towards the trashcan.

"There isn't? Because I'd be lying if I said I don't miss you." Lana laced her fingers out in front of her, staring intently at them.

"Don't. Don't say that." Clark said, sighing.

"Why? Because of Lois?" Lana tried to catch his eye, to tell what he was thinking, like she might have done before. But he didn't look at her.

"Yes, because of Lois." Clark turned back to his cleaning, placing things in the sink with his back to Lana.

"Clark, I know…" Lana started but Clark interrupted.

"No. You don't know. Lois was there for me when you left. She sat and she listened to everything I had to say. She gave me all the supported I needed. Support I didn't even realise I needed. 'Cause as it turns out I've been alone a lot longer than I thought." Clark said honestly.

"What happened between us." Lana tried again, she still hoped she could fight for the good feelings Clark had for her.

"Was partly my fault, I get that. My secret, my lies - it broke part of us. But it wasn't just me. I didn't force you to marry Lex. I didn't force you to turn away from me. I gave you everything and you gave me nothing." Clark turned back to watch Lana's face as she absorbed that.

"Is that what you really think? Clark, I love you more than…" Lana started but her words faltered.

"More than anything but not enough to not marry Lex?" Clark's eyes were almost pleading for her to see what he was saying.

"I was protecting you. You needed someone close to Lex." It was the reassurance she had told herself everyday since she had married Lex.

"You could have come to me. You could have told me - because we both know I could handle Lex. But you didn't. Lana, I finally let you in to my secret but you never let me in."

Sighing, Lana half-smiled, "I tried Clark, I really did. But there was this part of me. The part of me that knew our happy life couldn't last. I want you to know that it wasn't because of your secret. It was Lex, it was Lionel and it was that life. It was haunting me. I couldn't drag you down with that."

"Why? You couldn't let me help you? It's what people who love each other, do for each other." Clark told her. He knew she was understanding everything he was saying, so why were they still talking about it? "Lana, I don't want to hurt you but this - whatever this is. I need it to be over."

"Over?" Lana let the word fall out her mouth. She didn't ever think that Clark would want that. Not after everything.

"Yeah. I just - please?" Clark closed his eyes and took in a breath.

"Because you love her," Lana said, realisation hitting her like a ton of bricks, "Tell me this Clark -- is it what we had? What you have with Lois?"

"No, it's not. It's something new and completely different…" Clark admitted, "…and it feels good."

"Then it's over." Lana said, biting back the tears. Clark wanted to reach out to her but knew he couldn't. It wouldn't be fair. "I still want to help though."

"Well we're going to need a tech with Chloe out." Clark told her with a small smile. Her work at the Isis foundation would be an asset for once. Not a point of contention.

"I'll see what I can pull -- you should probably check on Lois. You know with her concussion and all." Lana returned his smile.

"If it helps, I'm sorry." Clark offered.

"It doesn't. But thanks." Lana's smile faded as she turned to get what they would need to find Brainiac.

--

Clark sat beside Lois, she was snuggled up against his pillow, a light blanket pooling at her waist. Clark leaned slightly, till he was face to face with her, "Lois? Lois, you need to wake up."

"Mmm? No." Lois grunted, "It's not time for drills, Daddy."

"Lois, it's Clark. I'm serious, you need to wake up." Clark gently shook her shoulder but she shook him off.

"No. I like my dream. Go away." Lois told him, none too kindly.

"Lois, please." Clark tried again, he decided he might have to change tactics. Lois still tried to wave him off. Clark gently gripped her bicep, pulling her to the sitting position. Lois' hair fell about her face and Clark brushed most of it off her face.

Lois practically scowled at him, "Clark, I was sleeping."

Clark sighed with relief, she was more or less fully awake now. Even coherently telling him off, he smiled and said, "I know Lois. Sorry, you can go back to sleep."

"You should sleep too." Lois told him, her eyes probably noticed the vague circles that were about to haunt Clark's features.

"I have chores to do." Clark told her, "Even if I do them at super-speed."

"Clark, you need to rest if you're going to face Brainbox." Lois told him.

Clark laughed, "Brainiac, Lois."

Lois shrugged and pulled him down next to her. She waited a moment while Clark stretched out his legs on the bed before laying her head down on his chest. Luckily she was on her right ride, meaning the good side of her face rested on Clark.

"Lois…"

"Just go to sleep Clark." Lois told him.

--

Chloe was sitting on the makeshift bed when Brainiac returned, his anger was palpable even from her four walls.

"Human!" He commanded. Chloe, for the first time, felt the beginnings of real fear. Charlie was gone and Clark had yet to appear. Maybe Brainiac had got to him.

Chloe walked calming and relatively slow to the room she knew he'd be in. Again, he was sat at his computer typing away. Chloe bit her lip and stood waiting. Brainiac finally looked up and acknowledged her presence in the room. Chloe walked from the doorway to in front of the desk.

"One of your humans is trying to hack me." Brainiac told her.

"So isn't there something…" Chloe asked, confused.

"Your ways are primitive and can be easily controlled but I have other things to do." Brainiac said with a certain amount of distaste. Turning the computer screen to Chloe, he allowed her to read the screen. There was some sort of mapping, but in bold was someone trying to ping the server, to discover the location. But more interestingly they were doing it from a pinged server. It wouldn't stay in the same place so it would remain untraceable.

"You want me to what?"

"Keep them out. No one is to come here -- and if they do, you're dead." Brainiac told her menacingly.

Chloe nodded, so she had to stop Lana from hacking her. She knew it was the other woman, Chloe had purposefully spent time teaching Lana how to hack. It was more do to with wanting to know Lex's secrets that trying to find out secret locations but she was glad all the time. This way she would be able to send Lana a message to help them but hopefully cover her own ass.

Chloe typed a few things, which satisfied Brainiac, "Okay I'm in." She told him, "What…?"

Chloe felt the similar whoosh sensation she had around Clark when he super-sped around her. Sighing with a degree of relief, she made out her message.

_L -_

_At a warehouse. Could be near the docks - can hear water. There aren't many windows either. Will try to send better message. But Brainiac is watching._

_- C_

--


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I figured I'd deal with at least a little bit of the relationship stuff. Might not have worked. Too tired and can't tell. Oh and the waffle thing is completely me. We don't have sweet waffles in England.

--

Chapter 10

Lois grumbled as she felt mind work through the haze of sleep into consciousness. Her hand went to push herself up from the bed but hit something solid instead. Lois blinked until she realised the blue covered thing wasn't the sheets but Clark. He still slept, his hair unkempt and in front of his eyes. Lois let her eyes slide from his face to his neck, where she could have sworn she could see the beat of his pulse in his throat. Her eyes continued the path along the length of his body, his flat stomach which tapered to his hips and out to long lean legs, still clothed in jeans and his feet still encased in his work boots.

Lois sighed, "They make 'em good on Krypton huh?" Sitting up, Lois paused a moment to let her mind throb. It was that she felt she was still concussed but the left side of her face still protested at any sort of strain. Gritting her teeth, Lois got up and walked to the bathroom.

--

Clark felt suddenly unease in his slumber, the warm weight pressed at his side was suddenly gone. Opening his eyes, Clark quickly scanned for Lois but she was nowhere to be seen. A slight adjustment in his hearing told him that Lois was currently in the shower. Clark didn't know if that was a good thing or not. Probably not if he wanted to have a hot shower to work out his kinks. Following the same path as Lois, Clark made his way to the bathroom.

--

Lana had woken up early and decided that it would probably be best if she brought a peace offering, especially if she felt that she wanted to be friends with Clark. But strangely, after the finality of their conversation yesterday, Lana felt a certain wave of calm and certainty wash over her. Anyway, what person could deny a peace offering that came with waffles and hot coffee.

Opening the door to the farm, Lana called out for Clark and then Lois but got nothing. Putting down her packages, she tried once more before heading for the stairs.

--

"Lois!" Clark chastised. Once again Clark had managed to get himself in over his head. Lois stood completely naked on the other side of the shower curtain, not caring for Clark's sensibilities -- or virtue.

"Clark, it's just a loofah. It doesn't bite." Lois stuck her hand out and waved it, expecting him to hand her the rough sponge.

"Lois, you're naked." Clark repeated, like it would have some affect.

"Look either give me the damn thing or I stop resisting the urge to embarrass you and flash you." Lois said, irritation high in her voice.

"What does it even look like?" Clark said, exasperated. Lois decided she'd had enough of this. Pushing back the curtain, she ignored Clark's shocked look and grabbed the loofah off the rack. As Lois leaned over him, the wetness of her body decorated his shirt in places. Clark suddenly sprung into action handing her a towel. She raises her eyebrows as he wrapped the thing around her.

"Clark, sometimes you are so good you miss the point of being bad." Lois teased him as he pulled off his wet shirt.

Clark shook his head in annoyance and opened the bathroom door, his face didn't so much as drop as fall through 2 floors and end up on solid earth. "Lana."

Lana was apparently on her way to his room to knock on the door, only to be greeted by the sight of Lois and Clark -- inappropriately dressed.

"I was going to say I had coffee…" Lana fumbled out. Lois, for once did look sheepish and moved so that she was at least mostly behind Clark's large body. Towel or not, she was more naked with Lana than she'd like. Clark's own face was a mixture of unease and mortification, "…and waffles."

--

The pair remerged, fully clothed for breakfast. Lana didn't mention it and neither did they. Lois eyed the folder than Lana had brought with interest. Lana noticed and explained, "It's all my research and some of Oliver's. He's been updating my system with the latest Queen Industries tech."

Lois gave Clark a knowing look. It wasn't a secret that Ollie had kitted out Chloe with the same gear when she began helping him. "So do we have any leads on Chloe?"

"A few but it's all too vague." Lana sighed, "Her message didn't really give us a lot of leeway."

"Hmm." Lois mused, "Better call Jimmy, he'll be worried sick. If he hasn't dug a hole already."

"Dug a hole?" Clark asked Lois, his face frowning.

"She hasn't answered him yet Clark." Lois told him, expecting him to know what she was talking about.

"Answered what?" Clark asked, it was a different feeling for him not to be in the know. He wasn't sure it was a feeling he liked.

"Clark, Jimmy proposed to Chloe before she was kidnapped. With all of the shake up of her being arrested and then set free there wasn't anytime for her and Jimmy to really talk."

"But they've been together over a week since she was arrested Lois." Clark told her, his tone somewhat condescending.

Lois gritted her teeth, "Yeah and what she's supposed to decide if he's the one she wants to be with for the rest of her life in -- a week?"

"If you love someone…" Clark began but Lois cut him off.

"Don't give me that crap Clark, this is a big decision and she is going to think it through." Lois told him turning back to her coffee.

"Congratulations for Chloe then." Lana murmured. Clark, on the other hand stomped out, grumbling about chores.

Lois sighed, "What? Are we all suddenly supposed to roll over because we care about someone?"

Lana knew Lois was being rhetorical but she threw her two cents in anyway. "It's not like Clark doesn't get it. He just -- just needs stability."

"Whoa, how'd we get from Chloe and Jimmy to me and Clark?" Lois folded her arms, obviously not at all comfortable with this conversation.

"Lois, who he is -- his abilities. It makes it hard for him to trust even the people who do know his secret." Lana told her.

"Yeah but that doesn't give him a free right to own me." Lois said, stubbornly.

"Maybe not but it's something you have to think about when you have a relationship with Clark." Lana looked solemn for a moment. Like if she knew all of this before then it might have been different for her and Clark.

Lois couldn't deny she saw the look but she didn't need Lana to see that she saw it, "Right, well. Thanks." Lois said in that cheery tone again.

Walking towards the door with Clark's still warm coffee, Lois turned back with a slightly serious look on her face, "You get that if you go after Clark I'm going to kick your ass, right?"

Lana nodded with equal seriousness, "Right."

--

Clark was loitering at the fence, as if his leaning on it was doing something miraculous. Lois rolled her eyes, "So?"

Clark feigned innocence, "So?"

"How long have you been waiting for me to come out here?" Lois asked, gently punching him and handing him the coffee.

"Sort of the whole time. But it wasn't until you threatened Lana that I stopped working." Clark teased.

"How -- wait, your super-hearing?" Lois asked, "From in there - to out here?"

"Lois I can hear things in Metropolis right now. From my kitchen is easy." Clark felt slightly smug. In the 'normal' world Lois Lane was a big cheese, he got that. But in his Krypto-induced weirdness, he was the star.

"You're enjoying this? The Clark Kent is King of the World thing?" Lois snarked. Clark just continued to sip his coffee before turning his heat vision on it to heat it up. "Okay what was that?"

"What?" Clark scrapped as the liquid burned his throat. Maybe that was a bit too hot.

"Your eyes went from greeny blue to -- red?" Lois tested the word. Unsure of it.

"Heat vision - my coffee was cold." Clark gestured to the steaming cup. "And yes, being King of your World doesn't suck."

"Watch it Smallvile." Lois warned. Clark's ears perked up when he heard the gravel of his driveway being crush. "Ooh watcha got Lassie?" Lois teased again. Clark gave her a dirty look.

"Oliver. He just drove up and he's on the phone." Clark informed her before heading to the house.

--

Oliver had review them with the new data his computers had brought in. Plus there was another message from Chloe.

_L -_

_Sometimes a bird has just gotta fly._

_- C_

Lana looked confused, "I don't know what this means."

Picking up the paper, Lois nodded grimly, "You wouldn't. It's not meant for you."

"Care to share with the group Lois?" Oliver pushed.

"It's something Chloe used to say to me. Whenever I was on based I used to watch the helicopters fly and wished I could take one out but my Dad would never let me. Chloe's near an Army docking facility."

"Port Dunworth? That's the closest to Metropolis." Oliver stated. Clark simply nodded, he eyed the schematics of what they thought the building would contain.

"Any news on Kara?" Lois asked, shaking Clark out of his thoughts.

Oliver sighed, "We're trying a new treatment -- using radiation to burn the meteor rock out of her but even now Kara's system is too advance for it to help. She's just pushing out anything we give her."

"But she's stable." Clark asked, his face reflecting his sombre mood.

"For now." Oliver admitted.

"So we save Chloe then we save Kara." Clark announced.

"Yeah big thinking there Sherlock." Lois gave Clark a look.

"Big plans will come later -- right now big picture stuff is all I can handle." Clark leaned back on the sofa, his body too tense for him to deal with.

--

The four of them, together, worked on what should be at least a decent plan for getting Chloe out of Brainiac's clutches. Clark's mind was in overdrive with its implications, he'd have to take someone with him. In case Brainiac was there and he couldn't get Chloe out without facing him. Someone else would have to take her.

"I'll do it." Lois told them.

"No." Clark and Oliver said in unison.

"She's my cousin." Lois stated.

"I'm trained Lois." Oliver eyed her. Lana still wasn't in on the Green secret Oliver was keeping and he didn't feel like inviting her.

"Fine we all go." Lois made it seem like she had compromised.

"Lois…" Clark sighed.

"Take me or I take myself." Lois challenged him and to be honest he didn't want to fight her.

"Fine. But that changes things…" Clark said pulling up one of the files again. Lois looked on happily as the new plan was laid out.

_So it was done. They were getting Chloe out._


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I felt if I dealt with Clark and Lana, I needed to do the same for Lois and Oliver. Not as much though -- just so we are aware. I've been without the internet for 5 days hence my lack of posting. But hopefully I'm fixed now.

Word Count: 2111

--

Chapter 11

"Lois!" Clark hissed as Lois slammed the car door without much pause. Maybe doing this in broad daylight was a stupid as it sounded.

"What?" Lois looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Maybe sneaking tends to need more -- sneakiness?" Oliver chuckled as he got out from the other side of the car.

"Oh zip it green ass. You look like you could light up an area code." Lois snorted as she took in Oliver's Green Arrow gear versus her all in black trousers and vest. She didn't give Clark's usual red and blues the thumbs up either.

"Okay Catwoman what is the fall line for this year's search and rescue?" Oliver zinged back until Clark raised his hand with annoyance.

"You two, if you hadn't noticed Brainiac has excellent hearing and you two are giving the game away." Walking over to the nearest part of the fencing, Clark scanned the area. His eyes narrowed as he could still hear Lois and Oliver bickering behind him.

"Away?" Brainiac laughed, "You never had game to begin with."

Clark's head whipped around at warp speed, Brainiac's fist was already coming towards him. Turning his head back as much as he could Clark absorbed the blow.

"You know the drill!" He yelled as Oliver yanked Lois in the direction of the facility. Lois gave one last look back, her face full of concern as the two men grappled with each other.

"Lois come on. Clark can handle himself. We need to get Chloe out." Oliver sighed as he tried to get Lois to move forward.

--

Chloe felt the vibrations from her room before she even realised what they were. With no windows she couldn't see where they were coming from. Banging on her cell door, Chloe began to shout, "Clark? Clark! CLARK!"

--

"Our intel tells us she's being…" Oliver spoke but Lois' head was somewhere else.

"Do you hear that?" She asked. Oliver looked bemused. "I think it's Chloe. She's shouting for Clark."

"Well let's go." Oliver hooked up his ear piece to where Lana was feeding him the necessary information.

"_Oliver, you and Lois are on the right track but you need to right at the next juncture._" Lois wrinkled her nose as she heard Lana's voice come through. Guess it was bizarre for her to hear Lana instead of Chloe on the other end.

Oliver pointed out the next right and Lois followed him, awaiting their next move Lois couldn't repress a shudder as she felt another ripple from the fight that was going on outside. She felt Ollie's hand on her shoulder.

"Do…" Lois started but stopped, sighing she changed her mind, "Do we need to talk? About Clark I mean?"

"Lois I don't think this is the best time for this." Oliver's voice held a hint of amusement.

"Well is there any good time for I'm dating someone new?" Lois asked as she looked from side to side. It seemed that they were at a crossroads juncture with three possible ways and not enough time to check them all.

"Of all the men in the world. I'm glad it was Clark. Sure I'm jealous as hell." Lois could almost see Ollie smiling under his gear, "But powers aside, Clark is a really good guy."

"But?" Lois felt like adding but couldn't stop it before it came out of her mouth.

"He's a dual identity keeping superhero just like me. How come I got the short end of the straw?" It was a perfectly good question. Why had she chosen to stand by Clark in a way she couldn't with Ollie.

So she gave the most honest answer she could, "Being with Clark. It's simple. With us, it felt like we were suffocating in baggage."

"Baggage?" Lois could tell Oliver was smiling. She smiled too.

"You know the Green Arrow stuff. Yeah you both do the same job but with Clark it's different. He's never had to leave the country because of it." Lois continued.

"But one day he might." Oliver told her, in the essence of truth.

"He might. But he'll come back." Lois replied.

"You believe that?" Oliver asked, part of him wasn't convinced.

"I know it." Lois said the words but the sceptical part of her thought she was crazy. Lois wondered if there would always be that part of her waiting for the let down.

"You don't sound convinced."

"Look aside from the obvious my boyfriend is an alien issues. I have my own too. Clark and I have not been together not nearly long enough to be discussing my neuroses." Lois huffed.

"_You two done?_" Lana interjected.

"How much of that did you hear?" Lois half demanded.

"_Nothing that will ever be repeated._" Lana said with a smile in her voice. Lois just grimaced, airing her dirty laundry in front of Lana was not something she figured she'd want to do on a regular basis.

"Lana…" Lois began.

"_I get it Lois. I know you don't want me hearing this -- whatever this was. But regardless you need to take a left then a right after that it should be straight on._" Lana spoke rapidly and Lois was still listening when Oliver took off. Luckily she was a runner and could keep speed.

--

Chloe's voice was hoarse by the time Oliver and Lois actually got to her and got her door open. Flinging herself into Lois' arms she felt like she could cry.

"Lois! Oliver! -- Wait, where's Clark?" Chloe asked, looking around for Clark.

"Fighting the Brain trust." Lois said flippantly.

"Brainiac." Chloe corrected.

"Jeez, what is it with you two and names?" Lois thought back to when Clark corrected her previously on her mispronunciation of the supercomputer's name.

"The what is we spend a helluva lot of time fighting this guy and it would be nice if you could at least reflect a bit of that." Chloe reprimanded and Lois gave her a hands up, backing away gesture. "Sorry -- I'm a little on edge."

"Kidnapped by a lunatic? Not a problem." Oliver said as he checked both ways for any signs.

"There isn't anyone here. Brainiac wouldn't lower himself to work with 'us humans'." Chloe told them.

Oliver continued to walk several steps in front of them, "What was he working on?"

"He wants to recreate Dark Thursday." Chloe told them.

"What?!" Lois all but screeched.

"Look Lo, escape now - speak later? Kay?" Chloe nodded at her cousin who reluctantly remain silent.

--

Clark felt like his own shoulders weighed a ton, his legs were just cement blocks that refused to budge. Sitting in a dent of the metal fence his body made on impact, Clark was ready to throw in the towel.

"You're weak Kal-El. You've always been weak. It's why you're never going to win." Brainiac taunted. But Clark was mollified by the fact Brainiac's face dripped with what looked like blood and looked bruised, painfully bruised.

Grunting, Clark pushed up and ran at Brainiac, his shoulder connecting with the computer's gut. Heaving him off the ground, Clark slammed him straight back into it. Using his heat vision, Clark tried to keep him down but Brainiac shot his leg out, taking Clark's legs out from under him. Winded, Clark tried to breathe, but his lungs were refusing oxygen.

Oliver sent out one of his EMP arrows, intending to disorientate Brainiac, but he caught it before it could do any damage. At super-sped Brainiac appeared in front of them, Oliver stood his ground pushing Lois and Chloe behind him.

"I like this one. He's got guts. Maybe we should see them -- Hmm?" Brainiac's hand turned metallic before reforming as a thick blade. Chloe turned into Oliver, her front along his side. Chloe let her feelings do their thing, Brainiac's blade hit what to an outsider looked like a brick wall.

"You, human are beginning to get on my nerves!" Brainiac aimed a swing at Chloe but was behind him, his fist hitting him so hard he flew backward. Over a few towns at least.

Clark stumbled slightly against his injuries. Oliver wrapped Clark's arm around his shoulders, helped by Lois and Chloe, took Clark back to the car.

Having remained silent for most of the exchanges, Lana's voice came through on the comm, "_Did you get her? Is Chloe safe?_"

Lois touched the metal in her ear, "Yeah Lana, Chloe's fine. We got her."

--

Lois sat on the stair decking outside the Kent farm, warm coffee in hand, staring at the sky. Chloe brought her coffee and perched beside Lois, "So Clark tells me you've been given a decoder ring."

"Yeah." Lois mumbled.

"Not the bundles of joy you were expecting?" Chloe asked, her shoulder nudging Lois'.

"It's just Clark was beat up pretty bad. I mean there were ripples in the air for Christ's sake!" Lois took a sharp breath.

"And…?" Chloe pushed.

"Now -- now there isn't a scratch on him." Lois sighed.

"Is that a problem?" Chloe sipped her coffee and contemplated Lois.

"No. It's just how many other times has Clark been hurt and no one's known. How much of this has he had to carry by himself." Lois shook her head.

"Okay not what I was expecting from you Lo." Chloe placed her hand on Lois' knee and give it a gentle squeeze, "I know we throw around words like invulnerable and indestructible. But Clark's heart? Not so much. He bleeds there just like the rest of us."

"No pressure then?"

"Lois there is no pressure. It's just like any other relationship."

"That's what I'm afraid of. I suck at those."

"Well not falling at the 'I'm an alien' hurdle is definitely key to success."

"Yeah but what about the rest of it? The togetherness of it all? The sharing all there is to share." Lois sighed, "I'm the General's daughter. Sharing is the equivalent of throwing yourself into enemy territory."

"Clark isn't the enemy and maybe you should talk to him about this." Chloe stood and pressed a kiss to the top of Lois' head before walking back into the living room and then up to the makeshift room the three of them made on their return.

Lois picked herself up and walked back in, Clark was standing the kitchen making more coffee. Lois gave a little half wave, "Where you…?" She gestured to out there.

"Listening? No. Just because I can doesn't mean I do." Clark smiled.

"Good to know." Lois returned his smile.

Clark poured his coffee and turned back to Lois, cricking his neck, "Sore?" Lois asked.

"Little bit." Clark nodded. "I guess being thrown…"

Lois sat up on the counter in front of Clark, "Turn around."

"What?" Clark looked sceptical.

"Just do it Smallville." Lois told him, he reluctantly turned around. Lois poked him right between the shoulder blades.

"Hey -- what the…?" Clark mumbled, rubbing his back as much as he could be Lois swatted his hand away.

"So you can feel that?" Lois said, as she began rubbing Clark's shoulders properly.

"Yes I can feel it when you poke me!" Clark chastised.

"What? I wondered with your skin being so…" Lois murmured as she worked a particular hard kink in Clark's left shoulder.

"It doesn't hurt. But I feel it." Clark said softly.

"Are you ticklish?" Lois asked as she smoothed her hands down Clark's shoulders.

"No. My skin is too dense for that."

"So what I'm doing is effectively fruitless?"

"I don't know -- I know I'm enjoying it." Clark chuckled.

Lois punched Clark in the shoulder blade, "You're really one big perv. Is it hard not being able to feel everything?"

"Not really. I've never really know any different." Clark turned around, confusion in his eyes. "Is there something to this?"

"…well…" Lois toyed with her fingers, "I'm just not sure how to add the fact you're different into the relationship mix. You can't say it doesn't affect things you do."

"We'll work it out." Clark said confidently.

"What between my crippling fear of commitment due to my absentee father and obvious lack of mother issues?"

"Lois you're worrying before anything has even come up." Lois partly resent that the look on Clark's face said he was humouring her.

"Come up? My cousin was kidnapped by the same psycho that laid yours up in a hospital bed." Lois opened and then closed her mouth before speaking again, "Oh just let me insert my foot into my mouth here."

"No it's fine. I -- I was going to check on Kara anyway."

"Clark --"

A whoosh later, Lois felt very alone.


	12. Chapter 12

The world has ended! People have turned blue! I've updated. :P I'm so sorry guys but I was having such a block with this story but luckily I'm over it now so posting shall resume for this as well as As You and I collide (Later this week) .

SSS

Chapter 12

Clark sat fingers laced, almost hunched over his knees. Kara's skin was mottled with bruises where the doctors had attempted to put new intravenous lines in. Her natural tan was flushed out leaving only a pale complexion instead. She looked an inch from death.

"Clark?" Oliver called, looking up from a clipboard, "What are you doing here?"

"Could ask you the same thing." Clark said, standing.

"Trying more treatments for Kara. She's tough, hanging in with the best of 'em."

"The big picture sounded so much better when I actually thought I could fix things." Clark rubbed his eyes, suddenly very tired.

"Clark…"

"What? How many times have we had this conversation and we're nowhere near saving Kara."

"…and the subtext here is?" Oliver frowned as Clark paced the room.

Clark didn't say anything but Oliver took a shot in the dark, "You and Lois have a fight?"

"I just can't fight with her right now. I'm just so tired of fighting." Clark admitted, "It's never going to be over is it?"

Oliver didn't have an answer that would satisfy Clark but he tried anyway, "No, it's not. But that's not why we do it. We fight because it's the right thing to do."

"Yeah which is easier when you know you're going to win," Clark rubbed his eyes again as if to clear them.

"Never took you for a winning guy Clark," Oliver said honestly, "Figured you for a 'let's save the kittens' type."

Clark's lips didn't even raise to a smile, "Find me a solution Queen and do it soon."

"Clark?" Oliver frowned as Clark stood and super-sped away.

SSS

Sitting down on the old brow beaten sofa in the barn, Lois let out a breath as she tried to figure out what hole she had just dug herself into.

"Not going well I see?" Lois blinked and looked up, Chloe stood by the stairs, half smiling at her.

"Don't start using your freaky mind powers on me Sullivan," Lois half joked but her heart wasn't in it.

"Well, you tend to shout when you're in a fight or in hysterics." Chloe shrugged and Lois glared, "I was not in hysterics."

"Okay, freaking out to the power of 10," Chloe fiddle with the edge of her jacket before proceeding, "Look Lois, Clark carries a lot of blame around, some warranted and some blown way out of proportion."

"You think I don't know that?" Lois sighed, "It's just he doesn't get it."

"Get what?"

"How many things could go wrong and none of them have anything to do with him being an alien," Lois stood up and walked over to the hatch where the moonlight flooded the barn floor.

"Jeez, sue Clark for being an optimist," Chloe said incredulously.

Lois shook her head, "Chlo…"

"Lois, you like Clark, he likes you. It's not much harder than that, he'll cool off, you'll make up and it'll be fine." Chloe smiled but Lois didn't share it.

"But that's just it, the world isn't just black and white, right and wrong, there's grey area," Lois said, exasperated.

Another set of footsteps broke the silence that fell between Lois and Chloe, Clark came up the barn stairs looking worse for wear. Chloe looked like she was about to rush to his side but he stopped her, "I just need to talk to Lois."

Chloe nodded, "Okay, I'll see you both inside."

Lois stood with her arms folded, awkwardly on her heels. "Clark…"

Clark collapsed on the couch Lois had previously been sitting on, Lois rushed to Clark's side, "Clark? Clark?!"

Lois noticed there was a greenish tinge to his normally tan skin, making it look paler than she had ever seen it. "Smallville! What's happening?"

Clark flopped in Lois' arms, "Chloe! HELP! Somebody!"

SSS

Chloe placed her hand on Lois shoulder as she held on to Clark's, "He's going to be fine, Lo."

"Fine? How?" Lois said bitterly.

"He was just suffering from excess exposure to green Kryptonite from visiting Kara, a little sun and he'll be Clark again in no time," Chloe explained.

"And Kara? How is she going to be fine? She's in a worse condition than Clark with no way out," Lois shook her head, "It's like we're waiting for one of them to drop dead before we do anything!"

"Lois, it's not like that," Chloe tried to reassure her, "Kara's case is very difficult because she's not human, human treatments don't apply to her."

"Then do better," Lois looked at back at Chloe, her eyes clearly tired, her hair rumpled three ways from Sunday, "We can't lose them."

Chloe murmured something about coffee and left Lois with Clark, Lois brushed back his hair and sighed. "I don't know how to do this Clark, I don't have any answers. They say the Sun can fix you but… I just…"

Lois bit her lip as tears slid down her cheeks, "Please don't die, Smallville."

Fingers twitched against her own, Lois wiped her eyes and called, "Clark?"

"Mfmph," Clark mumbled and Lois laughed, "Right, yeah."

But fingers squeezed hers and Lois held tight and watched until she fell asleep against Clark's side.

SSS

Clark woke up, feeling rested and better than he had in a while, though the Sun was glaring down on him almost blinding him he could find no reason wrong with it. Shifting slightly he noticed his arm was trapped under Lois who was sleeping by his side. Her face was tracked with black, telling him she had been crying but she slept peacefully next to him.

Lana knocked on the door, Clark looked up, "Hey Clark, how are you feeling?"

Clark used his free hand to run through his hair, "Fine, why?"

Lana looked at him with a slightly shocked look on her face, "Clark, you've been a sleep for 15 hours because of Kryptonite poisoning."

"Lois?"

"Has been watching over you," Lana put down the cup Clark just noticed she brought.

"And you've been watching over her," Clark smiled, "Thanks Lana."

"We would have taken turns but Lois has a death grip," Lana returned Clark's smile, "Hungry?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute," Clark gestured to Lois' sleeping form and Lana nodded, leaving them to go back to whatever she was doing.

"Lois?"

Lois didn't wake but rubbed her nose instead, Clark tried to slide his arm out from under her but she held on to it tighter than he would have imagined. "Lois."

Shifting so that he was leaning over her, one arm under her and one over her on the opposite side, Clark tried again to get her to release his arm. Lois opened her eyes and shouted, "Clark!" Accidentally knocking the arm that currently held him up, he fell on top of her. Rolling quickly, Lois ended up on top of Clark.

"Morning Lois." Clark said as he tried to hold in a laugh. Lois swatted his shoulder and got up, "Nice to see you're still alive Smallville."

"Why were you worried about me?" Clark sat up and Lois eyed him as if she were expecting him to collapse again.

"What if I was, you did look like Death was about ready for your number," Lois pointed out and she brushed her hand over her cheeks, wiping her mascara across them, she groaned as she noticed.

"I think it's cute you're worried," Clark smirked as Lois glared.

"Can it Smallville," Lois grumbled as she headed for the bathroom. Clark chuckled as he headed downstairs for breakfast.

SSS

_Not dead, Clark's not dead_, Lois sighed with relief. She noted with pleasure that his skin had returned to normal colour and he was, you know, conscious. Lois groaned disapprovingly when she saw what a mess her hair had become and how wrecked her face looked. _I look like I went swimming in it_.

Trying to tame her hair, Lois started the water for her shower.

SSS

Chloe hugged Clark with an intensity that made Clark think how far gone he must have been to not remember it and have such reactions from his friends.

Lana cooked for everyone which Clark had only accepted under protest considering she had cooked yesterday also, "Lana, you can't do all the work around here."

To which she replied, "Well tomorrow, Lois can cook."

Everyone fell silent after that. Clark shook his head as he fried toast, much to the amusement of Chloe who asked him to make patterns with his heat vision.

"Come on Clark, it'll be fun! And educational," Chloe raised her hand to her mouth to cover her smile.

"Educational? How is _that _educational?" Clark asked incredulously.

Chloe shrugged, "Helps maintain focus?"

Clark suddenly felt like that poor guy at the circus who made balloon animals. Lois walked into the kitchen brushing her wet hair back. "Focus what?"

"Clark's heat vision." Chloe said chewing a piece of toast.

"To do what?" Lois picked up a waffle and put it on a plate. Chloe snickered, Clark rolled his eyes and Lois looked at them with confusion.

Lana picked up a piece of toast and handed it to Lois, Lois raised an eyebrow, it had a burnt bird? Or was it a plane? In the center of the golden bread. Lois nodded, "Uh huh."

"It's not what it looks like…" Clark tried to explain.

"Oh come on? Are you telling me you were never this juvenile with your powers before?" Lois laughed, Clark shook his head. "No? Why not?"

"Because I can set things on fire. Meaning people." Clark snatched the toast from Lois and thought about eating it to spite her.

Lois snatched it back biting off the corner, "Really? So what did you do when it first went off? Lock yourself in your room?"

Clark blushed heavily and all the girls looked at him curiously, "Different subject. Now."

Lois was like a shark, she could smell blood in the water, "Ooo does Clarkie have a secret?"

Clark tilted his head, going toe to toe with Lois, "Bring it Lane."

There was a gust of wind behind them, sending everything in the vicinity of the pair flying, "Okay Clark I'm sorry, now cut it out!" Lois shouted at him over the gale that was blowing up. Clark couldn't see Chloe or Lana and could only hope that they were okay.

"It's not me," Clark pulled Lois to his chest trying to protect her when there was a flash of light.

SSS

Clark opened his eyes to the familiar sight of his Fortress. Lois shuddered next to him, her bare feet on the snow. Scooping her up, she offered him a grateful look.

"Where are we?" Lois asked as she looked around at the glittering icicles.

"My Fortress." Clark took her over to the main panel, the hub of the Fortress, he checked it over but there was nothing untoward that would indicate why they had been brought here.

"Your Fortress? Wow," Lois nudged at him to put her down, Clark frowned and did it anyway. "Lois you'll catch a cold without shoes."

"It's not cold." Lois told him as she picked up a pile of snow, the winds in the Fortress seemed to have lulled.

"_My son_," Jor-El boomed, making Lois drop the snow she was holding. She looked at Clark, "Anyone you know?"

"Jor-El, what's going on here?!" Clark shouted as the wind picked up again in the Fortress.

"_The Brain Interactive Construct continues its quest to release Zod, you must stop and contain him_," Jor-El told him.

"I know that," Clark blinked as even his eyes began to water.

"_I brought you here because you're weak, to defeat the Construct you must be more than you are_."

"What is he talking about?" Lois shouted, Clark could no longer see her but he blindly moved forward.

"Jor-El, stop this!" Clark yelled but the wind didn't cease.

"_You're ability to overcome Brainiac will depend on what you are willing to give up to defeat him_."

Lois. "Let her go Jor-El! Lois isn't a part of this."

"_The human is of no consequence in this instance Kal-El. This, this is down to you. Will you do what is necessary to save these people? Do you accept the burden that it becomes_?"

When Clark finally reached Lois, she was passed out, her cheek pale against the snow. Her eyelids closed but her eyes twitched beneath them.

"Let her GO!" Clark bellowed.

"_Do you accept your destiny Kal-El_?"


	13. Chapter 13

You know, I'm just gonna stop saying I'll do something 'cause it's only when I do that RL screws me. In other news, a shiny new chapter!

Thanks so much to you guys who reviewed the last chapter, you're truly epic. It was so nice to be welcomed back when I personally would have gone Terminator on my ass.

***

Chapter 13

Destiny. A huge unknowable concept that left a perpetual bad taste in Clark's mouth. Destined for greater things they all said, destined to be a hero they said. Clark knew better, there had to be a catch. But it wasn't something he could risk when Lois' life was in danger.

"Yes!" Clark said to the wind which abruptly ceased.

"_It is done, Kal-El,_" Jor-El intoned. The ice beneath Clark's feet began to warm but did not melt. The ice even shifted, jostling Clark as it created a bed beneath Lois. Colour seeped into her cheeks and her breathing evened until Clark was satisfied she was fine.

"_Training begins now my son_."

*

Lois frowned when she opened her eyes and tried to move, her body was stiff and it took her a moment to remember she was actually in the arctic.

"Clark?" Lois turned on to her side, expecting to see him. "Where'd you go?"

Standing, Lois rolled her shoulders, trying to get the circulation back in them. Lois turned around and Clark was sat, crossed legged and bare-chested in front of the main console of the Fortress.

"Little chilly for ice bathing Clark," Lois forced a smile to cover her nervousness.

Clark didn't seem to hear her, so Lois stepped forward, place her hand on his shoulder. Clark's eyes flew open as he turned to look at her. Lois gasped, Clark's usually warm blue-green eyes were the colour of an icy blue storm. Retracting her hand, Lois took a step back, "Clark?"

"Clark Kent no longer exists," Clark intoned, much like the voice of Jor-El.

"What do you mean, Clark doesn't exist? You're right here," Lois pointed to Clark but those eyes fixed her with an almost confused look.

"Clark Kent, son of Martha and Jonathan Kent, is a lie. A lie that is no longer needed." Clark tilted his head and Lois shook hers.

"No, Clark is a person and you need to give him back right now." Lois demanded.

"He existed to protect my true nature but I am ready now," Clark turned rigidly to look at the console.

"Ready for what?"

"To fulfil my destiny." A half smile almost touched Clark's lips.

"Destiny," Lois repeated, "Destined for what?"

"To become Kal-El, to embrace my Kryptonian heritage and defeat Brainiac," Clark told her as he turned to face her again.

"And what happens to Clark?" Lois whispered, mostly to herself but of course Clark heard her.

"Lois Lane, he did this for you. He let go of his human attachments and comforts for you." Tilting his head again, Clark seemingly couldn't understand why she was so upset.

"Give him back." Lois said, her voice toughening. "Give me back Clark. Now."

"With the utmost respect Miss Lane, I am Clark."

"No, you're… you're anything but Clark." Lois took in a breath but as she did so, the world begun to swirl around her and change in all respects until she was back on the Kent farm in front of Chloe and Lana.

"Lois, hey, are you alright? One minute you were there and then you're gone." Chloe said as she hugged Lois, Lana looked tentatively on. "Wait, where's Clark?"

"Clark's gone," Lois said wearily.

"Gone?" Lana said quietly.

"Apparently he wasn't needed for Kal-El's destiny," Lois walked over to the couch and flopped down on it.

"Kal-El's destiny?" Chloe bit her lip as Lois turned her head, "Know anything about that?"

Chloe shook her head, "It's a bit of a dark cloud."

"Dark cloud? Try the mother of all insidious nimbus clouds." Lois folded her arms and Lana made her way around Chloe to stand in front of Lois.

"Lois, there has to be a way to get Clark back," Lana said as she looked Lois straight in the eye.

"Yeah, well, nobody read me the rulebook on when Clark decides to go Jekyll and Hyde on us." Lois sighed.

Chloe spoke up again, "Lois, did Clark say anything about what he had to do? What his destiny was?"

Lois nodded, "Actually, he did say it was to become Kal-El and defeat Brainiac. What? You think mission accomplished and poof, Clark comes back?"

Chloe frowned, "I doubt it, but he'll be easier to deal with once he's defeated Brainiac. I better call Oliver, he needs to know what's going on."

*

Clark was already there when Chloe called, Oliver looked on as Clark unhooked Kara from the various machines and lifted her easily in his arms.

"Clark, the exposure could kill you," Oliver told him but Clark ignored him.

"Thank you, you have been very helpful."

Oliver stared at him in disbelief, "Sure, whatever. Clark, are you feeling okay?"

"I feel fine," Clark turned away from Oliver and super-sped away.

*

Star labs was Metropolis' own corner of the scientific research sky, specifically with it's own nuclear reactor. Clark ignored the calls that tried to stop him, knocking back the few security guards who stood in front of him.

Kara stirred in his arms, "Clark?"

"Soon you will be well," Clark's eyes flickered down to Kara but then focused back on their path.

"What, what happened?" Kara murmured.

Clark laid Kara down on the ground while he opened the steel door that contained the reactor. Even on opening, Kara flinched, her skin turning hot as the energy burned through the Kryptonite in her system. Clark scooped her up again, taking Kara into the room and holding her as she screamed.

*

Kara stood up for the first time in days, stretching her arms before she looked back at her cousin, "Thanks." She said quickly but Clark was staring out through a large window behind them.

"Clark…"

"Kal-El." Clark corrected.

Kara frowned, "You said to call you Clark."

"That's not my name," Clark replied, turning to face Kara.

Kara blinked, noticing Clark's eyes. "You look just like Uncle."

"Father has given me the gifts I need to stop the Brain Interactive Construct," Clark told her as they began to walk.

"Look, Kal that's great but that's not you," Kara put her hand on Clark's forearm, stopping him.

Clark tilted his head again, "I am what I need to be."

"Uh huh, what's that? Devoid of humanity?" Kara looked hard at Clark and he didn't even flinch.

"Humanity is a weakness in the eyes of the Construct," Clark told her as if he was telling a small child, "I give him no opportunity to weaken me."

"Kal-El, you may just find you need your humanity more than you realise," Kara warned before she took flight.

*

Lois sat on Clark's bed, her hands full of one of Clark's plaid shirts. Kara stood with her shoulder leaning against the doorframe, "Hey."

"Kara!" Lois jumped up to hug the blonde, Kara stiffened at first but then wrapped her arms around Lois. "Lemme guess, GI Clark saved you?"

Kara frowned, "If you mean Kal-El, yes."

"Kal-El, now there's a name you don't hear everyday," Lois smiled nervously.

"Yes." Kara bit her lip, "Lois…"

Lois sighed and sat back down, "This is going to be bad isn't it?"

Kara nodded slowly but not to agree with Lois, "You have to understand there are no Kryptonians like Clark."

"I don't understand, you're Kryptonian," Lois pointed out.

"I am but I was raised on Kryptonian by my biological parents, Kal-El wasn't," Kara sat down next to Lois, both of them watching a fixed point on the floor. "As a race, we have rights of passage, one of those is to be sent to Earth. It's meant so that we can learn and understand the emotions you all convey so freely."

"But Clark has lived here his whole life," Lois agreed.

Kara stood up again and walked over to the window, "Clark Kent has all the emotions of a human but none of uniqueness of his Kryptonian heritage, and in the face of someone from Kryptonian, it is either his greatest strength or his greatest weakness."

"So what? Jor-El just bops Clark on the head and takes away his 'weakness'?" Lois felt angry now, angry that what had made Clark special had been the reason he was changed.

"Lois," Kara paused as if she was trying to find the right words, "His weakness is not his humanity but his disdain of his heritage. Because of it he will never be human, never normal. And without fully accepting himself, he cannot use all the abilities he possesses."

"All the abilities? The ones Clark has now are pretty useful," Lois shook her head, "This is ridiculous. All of it. Just give Clark back."

Kara's eyes were wet when she turned back to Lois, "Only Clark can decide if he wants to come home."

*

Lois had been storming around in the barn since her talk with Kara. Every now and then she would pick up something that would remind her of Clark, then throw it to the ground.

"What you feel is anger," Clark said simply as he stood on the stairs leading up to the loft.

Lois' mouth tightened into a thin line, "Really, you got all that from me stomping around, throwing things?"

"Yes."

Lois threw up her hands, frustrated, "What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be off fulfilling your destiny or something."

"There is more to my destiny that destruction Miss Lane," Clark said in what Lois could only call a 'happy' tone.

"Lois." Lois said, facing off against Clark. Arms folded in front of him, Clark had never looked larger or more imposing, "My name is Lois!"

"Yes, Lois Lane, born 1986 to Ella and Samuel Lane…" Clark reeled but Lois grabbed his arms, "No, Clark. Lois, just Lois."

Clark leaned his head to the side in that infuriating way that had Lois blowing steam out of her ears, "Lois."

Lois smiled and nodded, "Right, now you. You're Clark."

Clark pulled away abruptly, "I am Kal-El, the last son of Krypton."

"Okay, Clark, I get that you needed more superpowers when Kara was sick but she's better now and she can help you."

Clark shook his head, "Kara cannot interfere with my destiny."

"I don't believe in destiny, or fate. It's just crap. Crap that has turned you into nothing more than a foot soilder," Lois couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice.

"You may not believe, Lois. But there are things I must do." Clark said evenly.

"Then why?" Lois sighed, her body tired from fighting.

"I do not understand."

"Why the hell are you standing here? If your destiny is so much bigger than the rest of us," Lois' anger was palpable, it was one thing to lose Clark to a bizarre slight of Kryptonian nature but to have it shoved in her face was another thing.

Clark's eyes flashed from their unusual ice blue back to their normal blue-green warmth. Lois saw it and she didn't let go, "In week I've seen my cousin kidnapped, yours poisoned within and inch of her life, you in a smack down fight with a _computer_ and you turned into the Kryptonian tourist information desk. I stood by your side through all of it. So tell me Kal-El of Krypton, why are you still bothering with us _humans_?"

With eyes still so familiar, Clark pulled Lois to him with a hand around the back of her neck. Even as Clark's lips crashed over Lois', Lois tried to pull back but Clark kept her held to him with his other hand on her hip. Helpless against Clark's strength, Lois let her hands wind around his neck as he lifted her up to his height. Lois could barely breathe but it didn't stop her from matching Clark's passion with her own, had Clark been able to bleed, he no doubt would of from the bites Lois was giving him.

After a long moment, Clark set Lois down. Flushed and unkempt Lois felt a sadness settle on her when she realised Clark's eyes were ice blue again, his body tense and without emotion.

"Clark?"

"This was a mistake, I should not have come here," Clark turned to leave.

Lois nodded numbly, her eyes filling with unshed tears, "Right…"

But as Clark made his way outside the barn, Lois could not see as he bent his knees and pushed, launching himself into the sky. Instead descending to the ground Clark held trajectory for two towns before he could fly no more.

_A fate, a destiny; my soul's born purpose which I knew. _

_But though I am promised, my soul I give to you. _


End file.
